Distortion
by AprilFiction - 13
Summary: How come his head always hurt. If he had just said no then . . . Five years, five long years without a human touch. By God he was going mad. As if juggling objects and turning them into weapons with his mind wasn't enough. Damn his head ached.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, I'm new to Fan Fiction, and usually I just write stories on Fiction Press but I had an idea for a Johnny Test fic randomly out of nowhere when I was watching an episode with my brothers. So tell me if you think it's good or bad and I must warn you that when I start something, I always finish it and this fic might be more than what you're used to in terms of amount when I'm done writing. Say about more than 20 chapters, but that's just a guess.**

**So anyways, enjoy!**

**XXX**

It wasn't supposed to be this way.

Everything should have gone normally, like everything else, they would experiment on their younger brother, dog would interfere but both would be bribed. Then said experiment would commence and something would go wrong. After some chaos and trouble with some humor thrown in, everything would end just in time for dinner.

And then the process would repeat.

But it didn't go that way.

And there was so much blood, so much blood.

XXX

Flashback

November 18, 2007

"I'm telling you dog, Bumper is out to get me!"

"I can't say I'm surprised, isn't the kid always out to get you?"

Johnny Test paused and thought for a moment.

"But it's not my fault!"

"Well then what did you do?"

"Nothing Dukey, it's all mister teacher man's fault, we had a pop quiz and –

"You're surprised you got a pop quiz from the meanest teacher in school."

"And it was on math, some sort of theorem or something, and somehow by God's grace, I got a seventy one!"

"Congrats." 

"Yeah yeah, and then the stupid teacher makes us announce the grades, I mean what kind of teacher does that!"

"Yours?"

"Touché Senor Smooth Buns, but like everyone like got something higher than an eighty, nerds."

"Maybe it's because they do their homework unlike some flame head I know."

"Ignoring, and turns out I have the second lowest grade in the class, Bumper has a thirty-one!"

Breaking out into fits of laughter, the two-man gang made up of a twelve year old boy and his best friend the dog walked home to what awaited them.

Meanwhile two twin fifteen year olds, one with completely straight long red hair reaching the small of her back, and one with her locks in tamed twists and braids contemplated.

If they succeeded then they would be complete geniuses being completely rewarded for their work.

But if they failed, the whole life would be compromised and most likely in danger, brain damage, blood clots, and loss of all senses.

Susan wanted to go along with it and Mary reluctantly agreed. But then questions about who the test subject would be came afloat.

"No, we are not using Johnny!" Mary yelled 

"But there's no one else, do think anyone else would actually risk their lives for this? If we succeed then the problems for most problems that occur in the brain and even the muscles in the body would be cured!" Susan retorted

"If is the main word, this experiment only has a 2.2 percent chance of success, 2.2! Are you really willing to risk our own little brother, our own flesh and blood for that!"

A pregnant pause filled the air. Mary was hoping that her twin would rethink everything.

"For the cause of science . . . yes."

Mary's heart fell.

"Don't worry, we'll ask Johnny, and tell him everything, if he doesn't want to do it, I won't force it on him." Susan reassured

Mary still had doubts.

XXX

After coming home, Johnny and Dukey both headed for their trusted old mold colored couch where they would have cupcake breaks and play video games if they could get away with it. But today they were only watching TV, some cartoon program was on, and the best friends were bored enough to watch it.

Thirteen minutes into the program, two twin teenage frames blocked the screen. Both repositioned their heads to see the screen but the TV that was now off.

"What do you want?"

Susan smiled while Mary just looked of into the distance, avoiding all the eyes in the room.

"Just wanna ask you something." Susan's voice sounded as if it was dipped in batter and cover in thick maple syrup.

"And?"

Susan smiled again, and Mary looked more anxious.

Just follow us into the lab."

Johnny looked at Dukey; they both shrugged and followed the girls.

XXX

The lab looked the same as it always had, some weird concoction over there, a hazardous looking trap over here. The usual.

"So what do want me to do now, eat a special meal that'll make me super strong, or to test out another beauty machine, oh no wait, I bet I has to do with Gil."

Both girls released an audible sigh at the mention of their crush's name. But Susan replied.

"No Johnny, none of those, but I have a question to ask."

"Ask away."

"Have you ever wondered what it would be like to die of brain cancer or tumors, or to lose the use of most muscles in the body because of old age, aches and pain?"

Johnny paled a bit at the dying part but shook his head.

"Well Mary and I have come up with a great experiment that could possibly change the whole world! Think about it Johnny, the death rate would be lower to the point where even cancer won't be a problem anymore!"

"If it works." Johnny said

Susan calmed down, "Yes Johnny if it works, but think about the lives you'd be saving."

Johnny paused and thought for a moment. He might have been narassistic and self fish, but if he could help save lives, he would be helping. Being useless wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. First of all, everyone was smarter than you, and people thought that you were lazy so looking the part meant he had to be the part. Not to mention it was hard being the black sheep in the family. His twin sister's were geniuses, his mother was a successful businesswoman, and even his dad had more skill to put to use than he did.

"Ok sure, I'll do it."

Susan smiled and took Johnny's hand. Mary and Dukey just stood there and watched, Dukey then turned to Mary and said,

"I didn't want to ask this because Johnny was here, and I love that kid too much to scare him, so tell me, what's the failure rate?"

Mary looked at him, taking of her glasses and resting them in her pocket, her green eyes focused on Dukey.

"Ninety eight point eight percent.

Her voice as small as a mouse, Dukey would have almost misheard her without his super hearing.

"What! What makes you think you can risk Johnny's life for some stupid whim of yours?"

"It's not mine, its Susan's" But even she sounded unsure.

"And it's not Susan's life, it's Johnny's, you could have stopped her –

"But I tried –

"Well I guess you didn't try hard enough."

Dukey ran off to where Johnny and Susan went of to, until a loud scream was heard. It sounded as if, as if he was dying!

"Johnny!"

Dukey screamed and ran to where Johnny was, but he couldn't see him, he was in the wrong place, he ran to another part of the lab, so many wrong turns, alarms ringed red in his ears.

"Johnny, Johnny, JOHNNY!"

Finally he could catch hi scent; relief would have filled him if he didn't smell something else. Blood, a lot of blood.

"JOHNNY!"

Finally he reached to where his master was, what his eyes met was horrific.

Johnny was on the floor, lay next to some machine that had a helmet and wire designed to fit him. Some of the wires were still connected to his veins and blood was slowly trickling through the openings. But that wasn't the problem.

His nose, ears, eyes and even mouth had blood rushing out, rapidly creating a pool on the floor. His eyes a dull blue, almost dead.

Susan was trembling mumbling to herself.

"It didn't work, it didn't work."

Mary just came in, took one look, and was in tears.

Slowly, Dukey put his ear to Johnny radical, then cardinal.

"He still alive."

Both girls looked up, it was Susan who spoke first.

"Let me take him to another part of the lab, we can fix him there."

She reached to move Dukey out of the way, but a low growl came from Dukey's throat, perched on top of Johnny's unconscious body, teeth bared ready to maim.

"Dukey please, let us help."

Dukey wasn't taking, just growling primitively, as if he was a wolf. His eyes were hard, teeth sharp and bared, his back muscles and hind legs ready to attack at any given moment.

It was when a small whispering voice was heard, everything stopped.

XXX

Cecelia Blakely knew she didn't have a lot of friends, okay scratch that, she didn't have any friends. Her mother was too busy with her new boyfriend, and her father was constantly at work that he didn't even visit anymore.

Man was her life depressing. Blowing her bangs out of her face only to have them rest on her forehead once more she thought of a certain boy. A certain flame headed boy, and as she did, her face sported two twin red splotches on her cheeks.

Johnny and his stupid dog was sort of friends with her. They hung out often and sometimes she was even included in their crazy antics. Water fights, bugs, the works.

Opening the door to her house, she saw that once again it was empty. This is what it was like; her mom often forgot that she had a daughter sometimes.

Walking up to her room, she thought she should have congratulated Test not getting the lowest grade in class. But he was congratulating himself so much she though it wasn't needed.

Opening her door, her pink dog Missy came and nuzzled her foot.

"Hey girl, have fun while I was at school?"

As if to prove that claim false, Missy whimpered into Sissy's jeans.

Sissy patted her on the head, ruffling it up a bit. Taking her long hair out of it's ponytail, she let it rest on her back as her went into her closet.

"Ah ha!"

Finally finding what she was looking for, she reached into a box only to pull out a picture that was taken the month before. It was at Johnny's birthday party which consisted of a fat rich kid, their pretty boy neighbor, a teen with green large hair and an often bored look, two men in suits and a general, a mole with a crown, some old man surrounded by bees, his sisters, Dukey, and of course herself and Missy.

This picture only showed the two of them making silly faces at their dogs, and everyone else in the background doing crazy things.

It was the only picture she had of her with him and she was fond of not only the picture but also the memory itself.

Looking at it, she put her finger to touch his face when suddenly a crack appeared on the frame.

"Ouch!"

Looking at the crack, and ignoring the blood on her index finger, she looked at the picture once more.

There was a long crack across Johnny's face, and it filled her stomach with dread.

Missy whimpered and Sissy looked at the photo with a sad expression.

"Oh Johnny."

XXX

"Johnny, Johnny are you okay?" Dukey was frantic, but also hopeful that his buddy was okay.

Johnny was unresponsive, his eyes a dull indigo instead of his usual baby blue, his eyes were half lidded and his skin was paler than usual.

Training his eyes on Dukey, he raised his hand. The girls watched in surprise as Dukey, now squirming, was raised more than fifteen feet in the air, and thrown across the room as if he was a rag doll. He landed with a crash and under his body where he landed; there was a boulder, at least 6 inches.

Dukey groaned and then fell into unconsciousness. Both Susan and Mary stared at Johnny in surprise. And then suddenly, they were suspended in the air.

Johnny's hands were raised were both raised in front of him and then he began to close them slowly. As he did this, both girls began to choke; their necks were both slowly being crushed.

"Johnny, Johnny." Their voices becoming weaker, until Susan reached into her lab jacket's pocket and pulled out a remote.

Pressing a button the destruction drones came out. They all surrounded Johnny. His invisible grip on their necks lessened until he released them all together.

Susan and Mary both gasped for breath, and one of the drones helped them up.

Susan was excited at the prospect, if his abilities were this advanced, and then she would be considered a true genius, while as Mary was incredibly saddened.

"Susan, I don't think he knows what he's doing."

"It doesn't matter, he'll be back to normal soon, he just suffered from major blood loss in the head, a little amnesia is to be expected."

"Amnesia, you think him trying to KILL US is because of AMESIA!"

"Look, he shouldn't be developed in the brain enough to control machinery, so we'll just condemn him, run some tests, and return him to normal before dinner.

"Uh Susan?" Mary's voice squeaked

Her finger pointed in the direction of Johnny, and what her eyes met was extremely destructive.

Each and everyone one of their destructive drones were completely obliterated, each more gruesome than the next. Johnny's hand would be raised and so would their head, electric circuit's and wires sparking till the electric light in their eyes died.

Johnny was about to turn his attention to his sister's again until a whimpering was heard in the corner. It was Dukey, and he was slowly waking up in pain.

Footsteps could be heard, and before either Susan or Mary could realize it, Johnny was already by Dukey's side.

'

He raised his hand and was ready to destroy again until Dukey looked him in the eye from his place on the floor.

Johnny's hand faltered, and his words came out barely as whisper.

"… Du- Dukey?"

On his knees, he put a hand to the dog's back and ran it up and down his back as if to sooth him. Dukey laid his head on Johnny's lap.

Susan and Mary both observed, what had just happen exactly, why, and would anything be reversed?

What was going to happen now?

**Please review; give me advice, your opinions, confusion, and even flames. I want to make a good story, and even though I'm already writing a story on Fiction Press, I also want to have a good story on Fan Fiction. So thanks for reading.**

**Ja Ne.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors Note**

**Yeah Yeah, I bet you guys were hoping it's another chapter, well sorry to say that it's not. The end of first quarter is here and I'm aiming for straight A's. But I have a lot of projects to work on and I need to study like super hard for an assessment so I won't be updating till a few days after the new quarter starts.**

**Please review if your pissed, feel sympathy, or have a psychological problem that makes you review, that's cool too.**

**And sorry again. Ja Ne**

**ThisLoveThisHate14**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey, everyone who's still reading even though I haven't updated in a long time. Sorry, but I did get straight A's so I get to keep my laptop that I used for purely good intention of writing stories for my endearing fans.**

**Oh, and if you have a problem, or a word that you need to say, just put it up on my review page that I keep one eye on.**

**ThisLoveThisHate14**

**XXX**

How were they going to fix this? Shit, how were they going to fix this?

It's been an hour and Johnny hadn't left that spot, he hadn't stopped patting and prodding Dukey, and hadn't stopped destroying things around him.

He was surrounded in broken glass, metal, everything. It was a surprise Susan and Mary's corpses weren't there. Of course the twins had kept themselves at a safe twenty feet distance. Observing him.

"We can't hide this, nobody can hide this." Mary almost hyperventilated

"The change in eye color and skin?" Susan asked

"The psychic hands that can destroy everything in its path!"

Susan could only retort with a meek "Oh."

There were some psychical changes within Johnny though. His skin was alabaster instead of the pinkish tan he usually had. And his eyes were now electric blue, with black slits in the middle that were the irises. (A.N.: For those of you, who watch anime, just imagine Ulquiorra's eyes from bleach, I think their sexy.)

"What are we going to do?" Mary was past hyperventilating; she was full blown crashed and burned now. Gripping her head like if she held it tighter, suddenly an idea would imerge. Her hair had become a long tangle of twists and loosening braids. Her eyes were dilated, and soon was on the floor sitting Indian style, in tears.

Susan looked worried too; she had not expected this to go this far. She had to think, quickly. She looked to the her other half for assistance, but one look and she turned back in disregard.

"We hide him."

Mary looked up, "How."

Then it hit her. The underground shelter!

Or something like it. She remembered when she and Mary had built that monster-making machine for Black and White. Then Johnny used it and everything got out of hand. And their solution was to hide Johnny underground when he can't create anything.

They could use the temporary bomb shelter Susan and Mary built under the town. Approximately 10 miles below the surface.

The bomb shelter that Mary and Susan had built about a year ago was when they had predicted that apocalyptic occurrence was possible of happening. So they had built it with help from their construction drones to make an exact replica of their house. But with a better kitchen, TV, and rooms.

Johnny could use it. And when he got better, and had control of his science given power, he would emerge and show the world. Then she could be truly considered a genius.

Dukey shifted and Johnny stopped. The dog, then stumbled slightly on all fours and spit out blood from his mouth to the boulder hole when his body laid a few seconds ago.

"Du- dukey."

Dukey still didn't have enough strength to even move other than stand so he still couldn't talk. It was enough to catch Johnny's attention.

On his knees, Johnny lightly hugged Dukey's body. Dukey in turn whimpered into his master's chest.

**XXX**

After finding a bandage for her finger, Sissy changed the photo frame and set it back in the deep secrets of her closet.

Missy was on her bed asleep.

A click and jammed shut was heard from the front door of Sissy's house. It was most likely her mother. Or her stupid boyfriend. Hopefully it was her dad.

She heard some rumbling and shifting sounds. Then heavy footsteps. At last a knock on her door.

It wasn't even a split second before she saw her mother's boyfriend enter his head through the door like he paid for the house he mooched off of her mom.

He wasn't some drunk that took advantage of her mother and wringed her dry of cash. And he wasn't some child molester who tried to take advantage of Sissy every time her mother wasn't around.

He was a businessman, like Johnny's mom, just more . . . conniving and tricky. His eyes were always shifty like they were planning something. He was a tall lanky man, with rapidly falling brown hair that he slicked back with gel. His gray suit sported two large sweat spots under each armpit. He reminded Sissy of a sweaty poorly fed boar.

"Your mom and I are going to be gone for a while. Don't wait up."

Sissy stayed silent, she always stayed silent around her mom's boyfriends. There was no point of remembering their names cause they were replaced by another limp dick the next week or so. So when what's-his-name left, she wondered what she would have for dinner.

Then she wondered what Johnny was doing.

**XXX**

Susan's emergency bomb shelter was under the lab and spread out under the entire town. There was an exit that led to it and somehow by God's grace they managed to get Johnny and Dukey there.

The boy though, refused to let go of the dog and kept his arms firmly wrapped around his torso.

That meant he carried Dukey with him and only because Dukey wanted to, he followed the two strange red heads.

Through his eyes, he only knew the dog and apparently his name was Dukey. The two strange red heads had strange looks on their faces. One was with sadness and tear streaks down her face. The other was calculating and scared.

Both were scared but for different reasons.

One was for him, and the other was about what he could do. They were thinking too loud for him to make any thing out. When he woke up covered in blood, the first feeling he could feel was pure fear.

The liquid covered everything and the heavy scent sent alarms down his arms. When he raised his arms, he felt some sort of light pressure. He felt pain.

He had wanted that pain to go away. That want had fueled his desire to hurt. It was only fair.

Then the mechanic bodies had flooded towards them, eyes glowing red and arms reaching for him. He didn't want them to touch him.

Fear surrounded him; the power coming from his arms destroyed everything. Fear and Anger were two very powerful things indeed.

As he walked in a path he could still hear the two girls thoughts. Was he going to hurt them? Will there back up plan work? They are going to be in so much trouble.

He thought their thoughts were trivial. What about the dog in his arms, Dukey?

Three of his ribs were broken. And his paw was twisted. He could feel his struggle to breath as he held him.

Coming to a decision, the boy put the dog down on the dirt path they were walking on. The dog's struggle to breathe became even worse.

Johnny then placed his hands, paler than usual, on Dukey's chest, feeling for the misplaced ribs.

When he felt the crack and lumps from the broken ribs, Johnny got to work.

He placed each bone carefully in place. One right rib and two left ribs. He heard a few scrapes, but after each fracture was placed, the dog's breathing got easier. Then he got started on fixing the twisted paw.

The dog was now unconsious once more, but the breaths came from his nostrils easily rather than from his mouth haphazardly.

He could feel the thoughts of the two teenagers behind him. They were thinking it was odd that at first he was destructive and now he was caring and albeit tender.

He didn't know what to make of it so Johnny carried the unconsious dog again and followed the two red heads to a place they called "safe".

**XXX**

Mr. Test knew that his cooing sucked. And that his children and wife paled at the sight the abnormal concoctions he made for dinner.

But they always ate it. Bit through the tough and uncooked parts, and never left their plates with their food barely touched.

He wondered what his children did while he made dinner. They always seemed to get into some kind if mess, in which he would punish them with revoked privileges or no dinner, which might have not actually been a real punishment.

It was 5: 28, and dinner was at six. Johnny should have been home by now, avoiding homework. Dukey should have snuck in the kitchen and pilfered some food by now as well. The girls were most likely in the lab doing what fifteen-year-old college students do.

But for some reason, he couldn't settle the feeling of discomfort in his stomach. Johnny always worried him, his trouble making, junk food eating, video gamer self and all, but he felt . . . he felt as if something bad, really, really bad happened to his son.

It was now 5:47, hopefully in thirteen minutes; his thoughts of worry for his only son would be disproved and fruitless. Hopefully.

**XXX**

Johnny.

His name was Jonathon Alexander Test. And the dog he held in his arms was Dukey, his best friend and an animal he held precious feelings for.

The two girls with bright red hair, thinking too loudly again, were his biological sisters. The one with thoughts mainly on concern for her well being and if he was a "success" was Susan Bella Test. The one's who's thoughts revolved around his well beings, and were clouded with self loathing was Mary Ella Test.

In their minds were pictures of him, looking quite unintelligent, then picture of anger on their parent's faces.

The brown haired woman with green eyes made him characterize her a person of maternity, and caring. The blond scrawny male looked domestic, yet painfully child like.

Apparently, this was his family. And in his own mind, he could see different types of faces, statistics, and information about people he didn't even remember.

He went to an information facility from early morning to late afternoon. He received lessons he barely paid attention to. He's had infatuations with several girls. His teachers were always out for blood. His lockers had problems.

Things he had no idea about were filling his mind rapidly, it hurt. It hurt so much. He wanted it to stop.

He didn't want to remember the pain.

**XXX**

They had gotten there in a matter of minutes, there was a steel door that highly differed from the plain earth tunnel they were in.

"Voice activation, Gil Is Fine." Susan said.

The door immediately opened, revealing what looked like an exact replica of the original Test's home. But everything in there was new, and untouched.

The mossy green couch was a new mint green. The carpet had no rubbed out stains. The television was new and larger.

The kitchen was even more different. Equipped with state of the art materials and self-cleaning stations.

Susan turned back to Johnny, to see that he had never moved from the first spot his made in the house, exactly in front of the door so that if he felt even a trickle of killer intent, he could leave and take Dukey with him. He still didn't trust his "sisters".

"Johnny, you can –

Johnny's piecing electric blue eyes immediately settled on her. Susan felt probed and picked at uncomfortably.

Johnny sauntered over quickly to the couch and laid Dukey there. He than sat on the floor to watch over his friend.

A look of annoyance passed over Johnny's face. The two girls were thinking too loudly again. He turned to look at them.

"Leave."

Both girls were flabbergasted.

"The both of you should stop thinking to loudly, it gives me a headache, if being in my presence bothers you to no end, then you may take your leave."

Mary was the first to speak

"But what about Dukey?'

Johnny stretched his hand out, and hovered it over Dukey's body. The girls heard a strange sound. It sounded like hot water when it's poured on something cold.

"Uh, mmm.'

All three heard a sound. It came from the dog.

Suddenly Dukey's eyes were open, and soon he was fully awake.

His brown eyes wandered and looked all over the room. His eyes told him he was home, but his nose told him other wise.

He then looked to his left. Johnny.

"Johnny!"

Dukey jumped on top of Johnny, whimpering and hugging his best friend.

"Are you okay?"

What Johnny felt was similar to the Mary girl; he felt general concern and love from this dog. So he hugged him back with out saying anything.

"Dukey."

Dukey stopped and looked at Mary. Part of him felt like he should snub the girls and rub it in their faces that they were reckless, on Susan's part, and could have prevented all of this, on Mary's part.

But his got out of Johnny's embrace, and sat on his hind legs.

"Yeah?"

Johnny watched between the girls and Dukey. Both had conflicting thoughts, and distaste. He wondered if this would escalate any farther.

"Please come with us."

Susan attempted to stay back with Johnny, but Dukey nudged Johnny's legs to follow Mary.

Where the lab would have been was something eerily disturbing, yet enticing.

There was a room that was completely dark except for the three capsules that were directly in the front.

One with a child's body, one with a teen's, and another with a young adults. Each of them resembled what Dukey would look like if Dukey were a human.

Brown hair, and slightly tan skin.

"What is this?" Dukey couldn't keep his questions in anymore, obviously the girls couldn't have used –

"Their organic, but not stolen bodies of the deceased." Susan said.

"We used some DNA samples, and features of some males on TV to create organic bodies that Dukey could use."

"Since dogs can't really live as long as humans."

Dukey growled at the insult.

The girls felt a chill run up their spines and continue throughout their bodies till it reached their fingers. Johnny's patience was running thin.

"The-there f-for you to use, to take care Johnny."

"What do you mean 'to take of Johnny', what about your parents, his friends, you can't hide him!"

"Look at him!"

Dukey didn't realize that Johnny's features had changed, but he didn't care.

"So, if you just explain to your parents what happened, then they will understand."

"The first time he saw us, he tried to kill us! We can let him into the public, he'll probably do the same thing!" Susan argued back

Mary stayed quiet the whole time.

"You're just being self fish!"

"YOU'RE JUST BEING UNREASONABLE!"

**BANG!**

Between the two was a large crater, it was steaming and hot. And it was painfully obvious that it was created by fire. A large fireball aimed between them. If either were just an inch closer, both of their faces would have been scorched and burned clean off.

"Shut up."

The cold empty voice of Johnny sounded loud and clear throughout the group.

"Both of you are to loud, shut up."

Susan was stunned for a minute, but then she returned, "See, he could have killed us!"

"You know what Susan, and you too Mary, I don't care anymore, make up all the excuses you guys want, but it doesn't get a speck of amnesty from me. Just leave and go make up however many lies you want, just to cover up BOTH your mistakes."

"But." Mary started

"Leave."

It was Johnny.

"Your presence here interferes with my train of thought, and the mere sight of you brings some sort of pain constricting in my chest. "I barely remember anything, but I do know that whatever has occurred within my body, is odd, and it was caused by the both of you. So please leave."

Susan looked like she wanted to say something, but Mary stopped her.

"…We're really sorry."

Both then left without another word. Johnny crumpled down unto the floor, cradling his head.

Dukey looked at his best friend in sympathy. He put his right paw on Johnny's shoulder in sympathy.

"It's okay, I'm-I'm here for you."

Johnny could have cried, wailed, anything to lighten this pain in his chest. Instead, he turned his head to Dukey.

"Thank you."

**XXX**

As soon as Ms. Test was home, she expected to see her two daughters and son. Instead, she saw her husband looking like he was about to cry, and Susan and Mary were avoiding both of their eyes.

Her husband was silent, but she steeled her eyes on her daughters until they couldn't avoid her eyes anymore.

"Where is Johnny."

It wasn't a question, it was an order.

"He-he ran away." It was Susan who spoke

Suddenly Mr. Test stood up from the table.

"I'm calling the police, and the school. And anyone else who can tell me where he went after school ended."

It was exactly 6:30, the sun was setting.

"Let's go to Cecilia's, she's Johnny's only friend in school."

Both parents nodded their heads in agreement. Then set out to work.

Mary and Susan stared at each other.

What have they done?

**XXX**

Both her mom and her boy friend were out of town, and most likely at a hotel inn, doing what adults do.

It was times like this she wished that she could just call Johnny whenever she felt lonely and unwanted.

Missy had been fed, and was asleep. The sun was just minutes away from disappearing until morning.

She had showered, dressed in black shorts and a white sweater and let her waist length hair rest against her back. She wondered if Johnny liked her long hair. Then slapped her forehead. Why couldn't she get him out of her mind? She'd see him at school tomorrow. So her mind needed to shut up.

He heard a knock at the door, was her mom back already?

She opened it to be met with Johnny's parents. She stretched her neck to see if Johnny was with them, her heart skipping a beat, when she saw he wasn't with them she dejectedly asked

"Yes."

Both adults looked at each other.

"We've been to the police, school, and everyone who knows Johnny."

"Is he here?" 

"No, why?"

What was wrong? What happened to Johnny?

"He's . . . been missing since . . .since he got back from school." Mr. Test said.

"We've checked everywhere and anywhere, even called people who Johnny knows outside of Pork belly."

"Wha-" Sissy was stumped

It was Mrs. Test who broke down crying in her doorstep wen she realized that Johnny wasn't here. Mr. Test got down to his knees to comfort her.

The sun finally set the second Sissy realized what had happened. Her bangs covered her heart broken eyes. Her voice sounded completely different to herself.

"Mr. and Mrs. Test."

Both looked up.

"I swear that wherever you're son is, I will find him, whether or not he ran away or was kidnapped."

Even though her words sounded strong, on the inside, Sissy's internal were slowly breaking. She felt like crying, for however long it took for Johnny to come back. He made this town what it was. He was the light in lots of people lives, especially hers.

He wouldn't just leave, she was positive of that.

So until he came back, or she found him, she would stay strong.

Sissy did not notice though, the lone stray tear running down her left cheek.

"I promise."

**Happy Thanksgiving, oh and I got straight A's!**

**Guess I was worried for nothing. Sorry for not updating for over a month. My other story over on Fiction Press has been time-consuming. If you'd like, you can read it over there, but the same rules apply there.**

**YOU MUST REVIEW FOR EACH CHAPTER THAT YOU THINK IS AWESOME.**

**Thanks for reading and look forward to the next chapter.**

**Ja Ne**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I got a few reviews about updating more, so I'm going to try and update every week if not two weeks.**

**Anyways, thanks to everyone who's read so far, and I hope that you can continue to read my story. I'm also going to try and fix my grammar for all those people who keep complaining about it.**

**XXX**

School was horrible.

Everywhere she went all she heard were whispers.

"Where's Johnny?"

"I heard he ran away."

"No way!"

They were taunting and causing tears and rips to nearly break the figurative shield she had built around herself during the past few days.

After Sissy had found out about Johnny's disappearance, all she did was stay under the covers the entire rest of the week, and the weekend. None of her homework was done, no sleep was gained, and her state of mind was no better than when she had found out.

"Hey Cecilia."

It was Janet Jackson. They were not exactly friends, but they knew each other and that somehow gave Janet the excuse she needed to talk to Sissy. Even though it was mind nerving how she always said her real name.

Sissy mumbled, "' 'morning."

"Did you hear what happened to Test?"

Of course she did, what else was everybody talking about, and she knew Janet was aware of that, but to amuse her, she complied.

"No, what happened?"

A small nasty smile appeared onto Janet's face.

"I heard that Test ran away after giving a girl a sexual disease. She doesn't go to our school, but I hear that she's really sick and that Test ran away because he didn't want his family to find out."

A look of sick satisfaction then made its way upon Janet's face, "It's not like anyone will actually miss him. He was always too loud, stupid, lonely with that dog of his, and really just a waste of space."

Sissy kept her face calm, with a few flashes of anger at the hurtful insults and lies Janet threw at her. But her emotions were of pure distaste for the raven haired beauty in front of her. Her hands were instinctively curled into fists, and her nails pierced her palm. She could feel the wetness of blood pooling around her fingers.

"What do you think Sissy?"

She knew it. She knew it! This girl was setting her up, and wanted to set her up to scream and rant and defend Johnny, just to make her a spectacle to watch and jeer at.

And no matter how much she wanted to do just exactly that, she couldn't. She had to appear untouchable.

"I think nothing, it's none of my business, and it's the families and authorities."

Yet her mind screamed it was every part of her business.

Janet sniffed and without even saying another word, left off to torture another person.

The whole day, Sissy was unfocused, cranky, and edgy.

It seemed nobody cared that Johnny was gone.

The thought made her even sadder.

The bullies who used to rain terror over Johnny seemed to have moved on. Mr. Teacher Man didn't even mention his disappearance.

She was about to leave when she heard things that made her sick to her stomach with utter disgust, and great sadness.

Sissy was walking to the school door and reached a corner, when she then heard abrupt laughter coming from a large group of girls and boys she guessed to be her age.

"I heard Test got some girl preggers." It was one nasal like voice.

"I thought it was a sexual transmitted disease?" Another laughed

"It's not like the kid could get a girl anyway." This time it was a boy

"Like you could get one Josh." One of the girl's voices squealed

"I kind of feel sorry for the guy though, do you half to be so mean guys?" Another guy's voice

"Don't be limp dick Terry, it's not like you care, I mean, won't it funny when he comes back to school and hears what everybody thinks of him now." It was Josh again

"I knew it, you started the rumors!"

"It's not like we know the kid, and I was looking for a little entertainment as well. 'Sides, we're eighth graders, he's just a measly seventh grader with no friends, it's not like he can do anything to us."

"I wonder why he really left."

"Who cares?"

By this point, Sissy was okay with missing her bus, and with sitting on the floor bawling. With the realization of unwarranted cruelty directed at Johnny. Was he really that hated? Was he that easily kicked down to the curb?

Sissy began put her knuckle to her mouth as her continued to listen in. She bit onto the one closer the to her thumb, the index fingers, and almost bit it to the point of drawing blood, the skin around it looking red and numb.

After a few a minutes, she slumped onto the floor tiles, still hiding behind the corner. Silent tears gathered in her eyes. She couldn't take it anymore. This unbearable pain.

"I'm taking my leave, see you later?"

"Yeah."

One by one, the other pre teens left.

One hour, two hours, after three hours Sissy still sat on the floor, keeping her tears at bay. Bite marks covered her entire right hand.

She slowly rose up, and grabbed her bag.

She walked for over another hour to her home, never being so happy then at that moment at finally being home. It was an incredibally stressful, anger testing, will crushing day.

And of course her mom wasn't home.

Missy scratched at the door until Sissy opened it.

Noticing her Mistress's distress, she whined into Sissy's leg, showing her sorrow.

Sissy, mistaking it for hunger, went into the kitchen and came back out with a dog dish full of food in her left hand. Then went back in for a dish full of water. She had to make two trips because of her right hand.

Sissy's eyes were dull, and blank. A dark haze settling over the blue color.

She left Missy down on the floor with her dinner. She ignored her own need for sustainment.

Walking up the stairs, she dropped her bag uncaringly, shrugging off her green jean sweater in the same breath.

By the time she was at the top, her checkered sneakers were gone, as well as the headband in her hair.

In her room, she looked at the time reading 7: OO, she took off her tee shirt, and pants, leaving her in her undershirt and panties.

No shower, no brushing of the teeth, she didn't even close the door.

Finally in her surprisingly pink sheets, she buried her head under the covers, and let the fat hot tears run down her cheeks.

Her life was completely empty now.

**XXX**

It had been a few months, but somehow Johnny had acquired all his memories once more.

It had been a few painful days, relieving the whole ordeal, explaining what happened to Johnny after he was tested.

Johnny at first, mourned at his loss of his normal life. When he did this though metal around him floated around him melancholically. It was like that for a few days.

Now he just walked around, with no real goal in his mind.

His hair was longer, still spiked in the front with red highlights, but instead of going up, it was more of a large tuff in all directions. The back of it was where it started growing out, and it was down to his neck if not shoulders.

He changed out of the clothes from the ordeal about a year ago, which was just his black shirt, and green cargo pants, and into a gray loose fitting shirt, and pants. He went barefoot unless it got cold.

Dukey on the other hand had figured out how to transfer from the organic bodies, so he went around doing the domestic duties in the bomb shelter, which was only making food, since Johnny didn't really make messes anymore.

As he watched Johnny lie down with no real purpose in mind, he was in his child-like body, in the same type of clothes that Johnny wore.

The boy was a complete opposite of his former self. He never touched the TV. He didn't eat cupcakes, and while the old Johnny would be awake and alive with excitement, this Johnny just slept, for days on end sometimes.

And Dukey worried about him. He wanted some sort of life to enter Johnny's eyes again. His eyes always looked so sad.

Johnny was still asleep, thought it was day time, and Dukey wanted to find something in the bomb shelter, that could entertain Johnny. In his provided human body, he searched throughout the different floors, until he found a room.

Full of books.

At first Dukey scoffed at the thought of Johnny reading at his own will, but then thought he had nothing left to lose.

They were already dead to the world.

So he looked within the caverns of the so called self library.

There were passages full with fiction and nonfiction, sy-fi, western, Indies, culture, everything!

Dukey grabbed any book he could carry, though he was still getting used to opposable thumbs.

When Johnny awoke, what laid waiting for him was a tall stack of books, as tall as him.

He saw Dukey sitting off, far to the side in Indian style, looking quite pleased with himself.

Johnny took the first book on top of the whole stack and sat back on the couch, Dukey settling next to him.

Johnny opened the book.

**XXX**

Over the past year, many things had changed.

The rumors about Johnny settled down to an abrupt halt, probably because of a loud mouthed fool blabbing about it around people who knew Johnny's parents, who in turn reported it to the school threatening to sue.

Then the teens who started the rumors were tracked down and suspended for two weeks, each and every one of them pissed and unhappy.

The rumors died down into nothingness, not even a trifle remembrance.

And soon, even Johnny himself was entirely forgotten by his peers.

Except Sissy.

Over the year she had changed too.

She cut her naturally red highlighted blonde hair, to just reach her neck, and had kept it that way.

She wore blue jeans more often, and always wore her green jean jacket now.

Her shoes were now converse rather than checkered printed shoes.

And she was an outcast.

She went to school, got her grades, and came home. That was it.

She didn't want to socialize with the people who had the nerve to not only talk smack about Johnny, but laugh about his disappearance as well.

She was also a really good fighter.

But unlike most would think, she was not a defensive fighter, the whole 'I-want-to-protect-people-weaker-than-others' got to her. Sissy didn't really understand why that type of person was portrayed in fiction, if it never really happened in real life.

Instead she started the fights.

With other teens that looked at her the wrong way, bullies who attempted to bully her. There were a lot of stereotypes.

The amount of times she had gone into the office had also increased greatly since Johnny's disappearance. And Sissy found herself eavesdropping on administrative staff drama and rumors.

Her mother on the other hand never even noticed the changes occurring within her teenage daughter. Sissy preferred it that way, and even learned to embrace the fact that her mother was completely uninterested with her life and preferred the company of men who never gave her a second glance after a flippant break up. Who knew?

She had made friendship with the alien girl that lived near Johnny, with the green hair and purple clothing.

She had gotten a scholarship to MIT, and was going to study astrology the next year. Sissy admired Jillian, for her easily attained look of disinterest and complete boredom that could get her out of any situation.

Sissy had often at nights, tried to attain her own look, one that did not show anger and fierceness, yet did not imitate Jillian. In fact, Jillian had cut her hair into a Chinese bob, with sharp curves that ended around her chin, because of Sissy's own haircut.

But on day like these, she found herself completely uninterested in anything and everything.

Her blue eyes showed a cold anger boiling within, and her face contained barely restrained sassiness, with an edge.

Her mother was getting married.

She had never met the man, until today, when her mother had for once come to her school, dragged her out of class, and made her wait five hours until it was seven to meet the man of her so called dreams.

Which meant she would be forced to remember his name.

And she was still waiting as her mother went into the restaurants restroom to freshen up.

She sat at the table her mother reservated alone. Left in her thoughts.

She though of Johnny.

_Flashback_

"_You know what Test, I think you're just mad cause I turn twelve before you!" Sissy Blakely brashly yelled_

"_So what, I'm still better than you at Smash Badger's Three, and I'm the original flame head, being older means you're just a-a a fuddy-duddy!"_

_Sissy laughed loudly and in his face._

"_Just for that, I might not let you come to my birthday party."_

"_Who'd wanna come anyway, I got wwwaaaaaaaaayyy, more important things to do on Saturday."_

"_Like what, give your dog a bath."_

"_For your information, a flea bath."_

_The two flame headed kids of Porkbelly were arguing again, Sissy's birthday was on the fifth of April, exactly a month before Johnny's birthday._

_They were arguing for no exact reason again._

"_Bring you're skateboard stupid, we're using my ramp!"_

"_And I'm gonna show you up again."_

"_Since when do you ever show me up?"_

**XXX**

Ever since Dukey had gotten him to start becoming book smart, Dukey also designed a training schedule for him.

It was like a deadlier version of Physical Education. But with more running, and abdominal exercises.

And the mutt had the nerve to test him on real physical knowledge at least once a week.

Of course, Johnny could understand the reasons.

When his memories had settled back in, all he did was mourn. He stared unto into nothingness for days on end, and was even once caught contemplating suicide.

After that, he didn't think he had ever cried that much in his life before.

So Dukey attempted to revive his old spirit, using the video games in the very large TV left in the bomb shelter.

But all he felt was annoyed at the simple challenges of simple graphics and level after level, until he had finished everything in a day.

For some reason, he was more entertained by fiction, mysteries and plot after plot of trickery and deceit.

Food was no problem for him; there was over twenty years worth of stock in the makeshift kitchen.

At the moment, Dukey was napping in his original dog body, his master on the green couch, with a simple book on martial arts.

But nothing was sticking in his head, after he read one sentence and moved on to another, he would soon forget what he was reading in the first place.

And Johnny soon found himself think thoughts that he had been avoiding for ages.

His old life.

_Though he had so brashly claimed that he did not want to go to her birthday party, his chest skipped several beats when the simple thought of it entered his mind._

_He worried for days on end on what he should get her, if she would like it or not, if someone else gave her a better present._

_He worried so much that Dukey had to slap him on many occasions, and he ended up letting his mother take him to the mall just to pick out a gift the day before the party._

_His mother had gushed at the prospect of Johnny going on his first 'date', and hinted that there was a crush, that Johnny had rashly denied. _

_Saturday morning was uneventful, except for the boundless amounts of nervousness and the sinking felling that the day was going to be messed up badly._

_He dressed in normal clothes, and brought his wrapped up present. He almost forgot his skateboard until he tripped over it in sheer anticipation._

_He didn't dare eat any breakfast for fear of vomit._

_XXX_

_When Sissy woke up, she treated it like any other day. Until the hope that Johnny would really arrive settled in. Then she became unsettled._

_Missy was at her grandparents so the natural comfort she would have received was gone._

_Her mother hadn't bothered to leave a card of congratulations._

_Her only hope was Johnny, and Sissy didn't mind one bit._

_First of all, she had to clean the house and her room. For some reason, cleaning calmed her down._

_The she had to shower. Instead of her usual attire, she put her hair into a low ponytail, wore a white shirt with black print that voiced 'I LOVE MUSICIANS' with the love in sign language, and dark green pants with multiple pockets. Her shoes were red converse._

_Then after running down to the nearest bakery, she chose a chocolate cake covered in butter cream icing of course. _

_Cake ready, skateboard polished and ready to grind, Sissy sat and waited._

_Twelve o'clock, one o'clock._

_By two, Sissy doubted herself, just being a natural pessimist._

_Why would Johnny like a girl like her, or come over to her house? She was loud and barely had any friends. _

_And she always berated him in the littlest competitions that had no value whatsoever._

_She wasn't really of any value was she?_

_It was then she heard a knock on the door. At first it was hesitant, and then it grew stronger._

_Sissy ran to the front yard around her house._

_Her eyes met with baby blue ones, her red faced matched his red stained cheeks._

_Both blushes grew darker._

**Merry Christmas, and I'm really really sorry that I didn't update as often as I promised, but if you go to the latest chapter on Emptiness in Fiction Press, you'll see my list a valid reasons.**

**The flashbacks are for a reviewer who requested fluff. It will be continued in the next chapter. And maybe some more after that.**

**Anyways, Happy birthday baby Jesus!**

**And review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Yay! It's 2012, and that means unresolved New Years Resolutions and Couples who kissed in television just HAVE to be noticed.**

**Sorry, but I'm exasperated with the whole holiday cheer crud. Maybe it's because my mom is in the hospital and my dad is overbearing. Oh well.**

**Onward with the story!**

_They stared at each other for a while, maybe a little too long because Johnny's arms started cramping up._

"_Ow!" he exclaimed_

_Sissy rushed over and took the things from his hands. His skateboard and a very large box._

_It was wrapped in red and black checkered paper._

_As she looked at it Johnny coughed gaining her attention._

"_So, uh, ready to be beat?"_

_His voice had exclaimed in the beginning but had been reduced to a timid small voice in the end that had comically cracked._

_Sissy continued her usual bravado that she usually had with Johnny, "Test, you're late!"_

_Johnny yelled back, "I thought I told you I had to give my dog a flea bath, sheesh, don't you listen."_

"_Who cares, c'mon, I thought we were gonna have fun today?"_

"_I'm coming, I'm coming!"_

_Sissy inwardly smiled at his antics.'_

_She was also extremely happy that he came._

**XXX**

_They didn't really do anything special, except for flinging taunts and harmless insults, it was a fun day._

_Yet Johnny could help worrying about Sissy's gift. If she would like it, if she would hate it. The suspense was killing him slowly._

_It was around five that she brought the cake._

"_This is pure awesomeness . . . in a cake."_

_Sissy giggled and Johnny blushed, he had never really heard Sissy laugh before. Unless it was at his expense, but still . . ._

_She had a nice laugh._

_He suddenly felt hot in his long sleeved orange shirt, maybe because it was almost spring?_

"_Soooo, can I open my presents now?"_

_She sounded excited, maybe she would like his present regardless; but he still couldn't push the doubts of his down._

_As they sat on the edge of her 17 feet tall skateboard ramp, he watched as she got down by using the ladder and picked his present up from the porch._

_As she climbed up, the heartbeats in Johnny's heart multiplied ten-fold._

_He was unconsciencly sweating and hoped that the lowering sun wouldn't make it all that notice able._

_She sat next to him and began to open his gift._

_Her silent gasp didn't escape his ears._

_His immediate response was to apologize._

"_Thank you!"_

_The next thought that passed through Johnny's mind was confusion._

_Her gift box was opened to reveal three silver round bracelets, and leather black wristband about 4 inches in width with silver studs and a necklace with chains the color of gun metal. On the very end was a ring, a darker shade of metal, almost black, with the gem in the middle of it a dark pink almost red gem. It resembled her natural red high lights._

"_This is probably the nicest gift anyone's ever gotten for me, thank you Johnny."_

_Maybe he was hallucinating, maybe she was saying she hated it and he was convincing himself that she liked it, when actually she hated it._

_And he was still trying to convince himself that, that was what she really thought about his gift until he realized something._

_She said 'Thank you, Johnny.'_

_Johnny_

_Johnny_

_No matter how many times he wrestled with the though in his head, he found it nearly impossible to grasp. He was used to be called 'Test' or 'nerd' or multiple other nick names that could put bullies name degrading skills to shame._

"_Hey Test, you okay?"_

_He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn't realized that she had stopped admiring her gifts and turned her attention to him._

_And called him 'Test' again._

_And for some reason it reassured him that, that 'Johnny' she had addressed him with was out of pure gratefulness, and said without any remorse or thoughts over her words coming out of her lips._

_Almost naturally._

_He graced her with a smile, "Yeah."_

**XXX**

_Sissy prayed to the sky and all above that Johnny couldn't see her blushes that skin just liked to show off. _

_Each time her said her name or accidently brushed up on another or play in her ramp, her blood would boil hotly and rush to her face, making her resemble a tomato if not outshine it._

_But the worst moment for her was when he was eating the cake._

_She couldn't help but watch as he put as piece of cake to his lips and close over the fork and then watch it come out almost magically, as if she feared he preferred to have a fork in his mouth than most things._

_She knew she was being ridiculous, but her eyes wouldn't stops it's trail of sight onto Johnny's lips as he would move them in motion with the slight chewing of Butter cream chocolate cake, collect another piece between the two slightly thin folds, or worse, lick a estranged piece of icing if was outside his lips._

_Each time she did that, she was sure her eyes were dilated and completely focused on that part of Johnny's face. She half expected him to catch her staring and feel obliged to leave._

_But he didn't catch her and she was grateful when the cake was gone._

_When she was handed her present, she expected something most people would think would want._

_Something tomboyish, like a tattoo for her skateboard _**(A/N: I have no clue if this exists)**_ or maybe some video games._

_She never really expected to get what she was given to by Johnny._

_Now, don't get Sissy wrong, she was not a jewelry person, she abhorred anything feminine because of mainly her mother, and how she mainly went to such lengths to make sure her skin was presentable, clothes unattainable, and appearance pure perfection._

_In fact, it sickened her._

_But that didn't derail from Johnny's sweet gift._

_The three silver bracelets were simple yet elegant, each have some variation of hiragana characters on it._

_The black leather wrist strap was punk rock and exactly the way she like it, deadly and cool._

_But it was the necklace that stole her breath._

_It's glitter in the slowly setting sun sparkled colors ranging from dark ruby red to champagne pink on the gemstone that was placed on the ring. The chain was hard and cold in her hands, the gun metal color slowly calming._

_She would look into the type of stone and metal it was later, but fact absolutely loved it._

_It was the first birthday after her parents' divorce that didn't include forced smiles between her parents or unwanted but accepted gifts or a forgotten birthday._

_She was truly happy enough that she didn't notice when she said Johnny's name instead of his last, but she didn't care, she wanted to revel in the rare feeling of light headedness and content._

_And as they sat there, talking about random things with exactly no relevance to anything Sissy found herself enjoying her birthday for once._

_Flashback End_

**XXX**

**(A/N: BTW this is Sissy's point of view now, flashbacks are officially over unless I get a request)**

She absent mindedly twirled the ring on the chain necklace she received about two year prior.

And she was still waiting for her idiotic mother to get out of the restroom and get this date over with so that she could sink her claws into another male like always.

Because Sissy didn't honestly believe that her mother had found the perfect male to appease her frantic spending addictions (her mother was a secretary for a large technology company out of town), her addiction to particular types of alcohol and partying, and worse of all . . .

. . . her desperate need for intersexual relationships.

Often, on one or two occasions, Sissy would find herself on her laptop listening to varying types of music on YouTube just to block out the lustful sounds her mother and momentarily sexual spouse would make throughout the night.

So far the songs that kept the most noise out were My Apocalypse by Escape the Fate and Ultra numb by Blue Stahli.

So in other words, Sissy refused to believe that there was a single man out there who could actually tolerate her mother. Hell, even she couldn't, and she barely saw her, the only way she knew her mother still knew she had a daughter was the bills for light, heat, electricity, cable, and internet were still paid.

Her mother came out, looking what she believed was her best, and certainly the appreciative looks she was gathering from the men around her were just proofs to her justification.

She showed off long blond hair that flowed evenly to her back side and her bangs were just and long as her hair and parted evenly revealing a slight tan face with small pink blush, sultry painted red lips, and eyelashes long and full, complementing the smoky eye shadow that made her light blue/green eyes look all the more seductive.

Her body was surprisingly fit for a woman of her age, with a kid no less, but no signed of flabs gained from pregnancy.

She wore a short black cocktail dress, with the sleeves large and puffed out yet see through, the torso cut and tight, bringing attention to her breasts, the dress fashionably folded in the right places and sequined at the end the dress which ended before the middle of her tights started.

And she wore all the right jewelry of course, with white thin high heels.

Sissy inwardly gagged at all the looks her mother, her THITRY-SEVEN year old mother received, hoping for a conversation, a drink, a date, and mostly sex.

And she knew her mother was eating up all those looks with shining pride as she walked over to the table she was sitting at.

Slowly settling in her seat, she gave a small frown as she realized her daughter looked horribly out of place in the restaurant.

Almost as if she were reading her mind, Sissy said, "I could have just gone home like I planned, or maybe changed, I really don't care, you make the decisions-", then she added sardonically, "-mom."

And Sissy did look out of place in Aromas Hill **( A/N: I have no clue if that place exists)**, in her dark green army jacket, black and white t-shirt, and blue ripped jeans along with red converse.

Sissy's mother Mia Bella pursed her lips but stayed silent, not wanting her daughter to ruin her special night.

Sissy in turn mentally thanked herself for bringing her bag full of homework and class work begging to be done for the sake of her grade.

It was when she heard a girlish squeal from her mother's lips, after a full thirty minutes of being ensnared with geometry and 'To Kill An Mockingbird', Sissy almost jumped in her seat.

She turned in her mother's trail of direction and saw what her mother had been obsessing about.

Sissy had to admit her mother had chosen better this time than the usual slump.

This man had a smoky type of aura surrounding him, as if his very being was cigar and pipe smoke. His skin was fair for his age and his hair was so black, it was comparable to the color blue. His hair was full and slicked back, the same with his goatee that was slicked back and cut evenly to look like a small vertical rectangle on his chin.

His wore a suit that was white, stark white, with black pin stripes, and his shoes were the shiniest pair of loafers she'd even seen on a middle aged man.

In all, he was everything her mother wanted.

Rich, looks, styles, and class all in one.

But for some reason, Sissy couldn't help but shake off that suspicious feeling she got when he near their table.

In a graceful masculine voice he said, "Darling Mia, I take it you didn't wait long?"

Her mother giggled. Giggled!

"Oh no, Edward, we just got here."

Just got here her ass! She's been here since three if not earlier in a restaurant that frankly shouldn't allow people her age with all the alcohol just waiting to be consumed, and her ditzy mother who had the nerve to go shopping while she waited here, then dress up, then dress up again, and leave Sissy bored to the point of doing schoolwork! The freakin' nerve.

"Good, good, I take it this is your lovely daughter Cecilia?"

Mia Belle rushed to answer before her daughter said something, "Yes! Yes, this is Cecilia; she's in her last year in Porkbelly Middle School and on her way to Tender Spring High."

Edward smiled at her, but Sissy didn't force herself to smile back, even if her mother kicked her under the table. Instead she asked a very blunt question, "What are your intentions with my mother?"

Mia Belle gasped in indignation but Edward smiled again, "Wait after dinner and you'll see, Cecilia."

Sissy bit her tongue from saying 'It's Sissy' due to her mother's silent glare.

And then Edward sat, hereby making Sissy the third wheel.

Dinner followed an appetizer of Spinach Cheese Mushrooms, by filling all three with Tenderloin Steak and Salad. Though Mia and Edward mainly talked while Sissy ate.

It was free food . . . that she wasn't paying for . . . so sue her, even if she didn't trust the guy, the food was no less than awesome.

Dessert was Strawberry Cheesecake and Sissy ate that with restrained gusto, she didn't want to seem thankful.

She barely paid attention when Edward got out of his seat, or when he got near her mother. Or got on his knees.

But she heard not only her mother's gasp, but the gasps around her.

She especially heard him ask, "Mia Belle Blakely, would you make me the happiest man in this room and marry me?"

Sissy's fork dropped out of her hands and onto the plate creating a loud clang against the silence as her mother screamed, "Yes!"

**XXX**

Dukey wondered around drinking mocha in his dog body watching as Johnny completed yet another test he had made up, completely out of the book in the bomb shelter.

Dukey hated disorder, and had Johnny learn not from his own grade, but below, seeing as his previous grades when they were considered alive weren't all that admirable, but still . . .

He had him read and learn starting around fifth grade level. But surprisingly, he finished that in only what would take normal fifth graders a year, in a matter of two months.

He breezed through the middle school math of Course 1, Pre- Algebra, and ADA in about half a year and his grammar had gotten better. He could actually spell the word 'go' now.

History was treated like fiction, and Johnny's favorite characters so far were Theodore Roosevelt, the social reformers, and Martin Luther King.

Dukey searched for any signs of his head looking abnormally large, similar to when he was controlled by Smarty Pants. But no matter how much information about the world was learned, his head remained normal.

"Done." He said in a slight accomplished voice

Dukey looked over the work, it was Pre- Calculus.

Johnny was now above what his peers would be doing, and seemed pretty proud.

He would be ready when they came back, soon.

**XXX**

Instead of moping around lifeless, for the past about year if not two, Johnny felt better.

Not completely fixed emotionally or mentally, but better enough to give in to his mind's want to learn. To improve himself. To keep the voices out of his head.

He had kept it from Dukey, even denied it himself, but to urge to release the almost invisible force that rushed from his mind had become even stronger.

He felt himself almost even relying on it, to get things that were far away, to open doors, lift things heavy. It was a miracle that all of it happened when Dukey wasn't watching over him.

But still, it was scary. Johnny in his own denial earlier mixed up the need to use whatever his power was for exercise. So he strengthened his original lanky body, to one his parents would have been proud over. A healthy one that didn't need shoes with springs to be taller, or a pill of some sorts to do physical things. He could do it all on his own now.

But for some reason, the urge only got stronger, he was able to hold at bay most of the time, distracting himself with learning and studying and training, but he could only hold it in only for so long.

Whenever he had a problem, ever since 'this' had happened, Dukey was his sense of comfort, mentor, and coach all in one. He didn't want to burden his best friend, and yet he found himself walking near his fuzzy buddy in his teenager human body.

"Why do you change bodies so much?" Johnny asked, trying to get a conversation going.

Dukey shrugged in his gray shirt and pants, identical to Johnny's, "I love being a dog, but being a human has its perks."

Johnny decided that if he didn't do it now, he would never do it.

He focused on the television with his silted electric blue eyes, and thought.

Suddenly, the channel change to a news channel, though Dukey was just watching American Idol** (A/N: I don't really like that show, but I used it for lack of a better one at the time) **and it when on about the stock market.

Johnny stifled his laugh when he saw Dukey searching for the remote when suddenly it changed again, to Disney Channel. Both blanched at the sight of Miley Cyrus.

Johnny immediately changed it to the cooking channel, then the pre-kids channel, and another, and another. Until he felt Dukey's eyes on him as he continued his random channel changing. Without a remote.

"John –Johnny?"

Johnny inwardly smirked but kept his face placid, "Yeah?"

"Is that you?"

Dukey pointed to the same screen, which Johnny in turn stopped the channel Dukey was watching.

"Who else." He replied simply

"C-cool, do it again!"

Johnny frowned but complied.

It was five minutes later; Johnny's heartbeat echoed in his head, he stopped then and there.

Dukey was about to ask what happened when he saw the fatigue on his master's face.

He set him on the couch, and asked, "Was that why you came here for no reason, all of a sudden?"

Johnny, not trusting his voice nodded.

Dukey looked like he was in deep though for a while, and then stopped, "We'll combine body training and mind training tomorrow. And I'm not going to skimp on the toughness either."

Johnny groaned but was happy; his dog really knew what to do in situations like these.

**Yeah, this is the last chapter before the real time skip, I want Sissy and Johnny to be older when everything happens, like third year of high school older.**

**I also hope everybody liked the requested fluff, I don't really do it often and most likely won't do it for a while**

**So yeah, I guess I'm done, though this chapter didn't want to come out.**

**I'll probably update the week after the next.**

**Later.**

**Oh, and for those who don't think this story is as good as it started, I totally agree with you (sarcasm), I mean I should be able to write completely good stories even though this is my first one. -_-!**

**Please click this button you see**

**Right here**

**Click!**


	6. Chapter 6

**This is the real time skip, enjoy it, hate it, I really don't care, as long as you review. If you think this story has no action, then you're just a little too impatient, sorry but thems the breaks.**

**Anyways, Johnny and Sissy are like seventeen now, and like I promised, there is going to be more action then the previous chapter cause now the situation call for it.**

**Oh, and this is a five year time skip, so I'm hoping the story summary makes sense now. **

**Ja Ne.**

**XXX**

Goodness his head hurt.

You know, the kind of hurt you'd get smacking your head against a brick wall and falling head first into the cement floor in one go.

Compare to that, he rather feel that sort of pain rather than go through this torture.

"I didn't say stop!" Dukey's harsh coaching voice clouded over his ears, bringing him close to choking from the pain.

What was he doing? Why solving the code to the locked door that neither of the two had seen outside for the past five years. The heavily coded door neither bothered to even attempt unlocking let alone looking at for a long time.

They were finally attempting to open it.

Instead of the green door that would be at the end of the house to make it a complete replica of the original, what stood was a high-tech steel door similar to the one that would be standing in front of the girls lab, but much thicker, and the worst part was . . .

. . no password that had to do with the pretty boy neighbor all those years ago could open it.

Well of course, he was seventeen, which meant his forsaking twin sisters, were now twenty instead of fifteen.

Though his head continued to near a seizure, and his ears were booming to the point of drawing blood, his mind reveled in the surprising europhoric rush of seeing with his mind rather than eyes.

"Johnny STOP!" Dukey's voice shouldered fear, and it convinced Johnny himself to stop.

When he did, he felt some wetness on his face. His nose was bleeding heavily. To the point where it was dripping off of his chin and onto his shirt.

But for some reason that didn't stop him from smiling.

Dukey rushed over to him, rag in hand, skillfully cleaning the crimson liquid and popping iron pills into his master's mouth.

"Johnny, what's wrong. What happened?"

Dukey still felt fear at the prospect of Johnny losing blood, ever since that faithful day five years ago, seeing Johnny covered in all that blood, pooling out of his ears, mouth nose and every other opening in his body, frightened him to the core, the sight, the smell.

When he started training Johnny years back, the simplest things like lifting and moving things with his mind only caused him fatigue before he got used to it. Sometimes it was heavy, subduing Johnny to bed rest for more than weeks at times, but it wasn't as horrible as when Johnny used his 'power' for complex situations.

"I know how to break the code." His master was deliriously happy, despite the current problem

"Don't talk."

He didn't listen, "Each part of it is a fraction of a mixture of the alphabet, and a number, and in a row it's five of each. But it changes every second if not millisecond. The only ways to open it without me completely breaking it is using a code breaker and link it to what takes the code and stopping the ever changing code to enter the right one." Taking a huge gap of breath he said more

"The girls knew that we would want out sooner or later, and wanted to make sure they had a way to make sure only they can choose when we come out."

Johnny started coughing as Dukey continued to check his vitals.

"Damn it, so was it useless trying to get out quietly was it?"

Johnny nodded sullenly, "Yeah, well, time for Plan B."

Dukey blanched, his teenager human body internally shivering as to what Johnny was referring to.

"Just . . . just give me a warning this time Johnny-boy." Dukey stuttered

"Well then, get back for a moment, or do you preferred to be scorched."

Dukey raised his hands in a defensive position, "Whoa whoa wait a minute, at least let me pray!"

Dukey backed up several feet, creating a large gap between himself and the blond highlighted teenager, almost fearing for his life. And how much destruction he could make.

He watched closely as he could almost see some large invisible force gather in Johnny's hand and waited for the rare occurrence to happen.

Johnny held out his hand and thought. Thoughts that made him angry and disheartened at his life.

His parents never finding him, his sister's abandoning him. His life ending at the moment of intense pain and starting again with his memories gone and replaced with an obscure amount of fear rather than common sense.

The loneliness, the heart-wrenching pain of being a shadow of one's former self.

Each and every one of those thoughts made a nice, clean and efficient stab at his heart and caused his mind inner turmoil. But it was enough.

"**AAH!"**

A large crash was heard from all around them, the large metal door crumpled into mere debris in front of the two, about more than twenty feet away. Breaking out in sparks from the technology installed suddenly being forced out.

The opening was steaming with immense amount of heat filling the entire area with dread.

It was as if a fire had just passed through.

Dukey, sensing his master's distress, called out Johnny's name timidly, "…Johnny."

Johnny bristled from the self assumed pity in his voice, "Don't, just don't Dukey; I'm fine, so let's just go."

Both wondered what they would actually need and then decided to take the necessary essentials.

Dukey would of course take his original body, safely in a metal dog cage, and the surprisingly small mind transferring device. Also an extra packing of clothes for both Johnny and Dukey along with a few snacks to keep the two detained enough.

Johnny, unlike his best friend, ventured deep into the building he had spent the majority of his adolescence in. With the still fresh wound of being thrown aside like forgotten trash, most likely unrepentantly, and easily forgotten.

His body had changed in ways as well. From a scrawny self centered child to a lean muscled young man. His hair no longer defied the laws of gravity but instead grew out long and to his waist. The hair he had only bothered to cut was the front, making it acceptably spiky and unruly, spiking out ward instead of up, still accompanied by his natural red highlights. He didn't bother cutting the rest, always leaving it in a messy ponytail. Courtesy of Dukey.

He entered what was supposed to be an exact replica of his room. He noticed that he rarely entered the place, only sleeping on the couch. The only time he entered was to change out of his blood sullied clothes, and into fresher one so long ago.

Such a long, long time ago.

The clothes still rested on the bed, old and dusty with nature's dirt, dust, and crusted five year old blood.

Johnny touched it, feeling the old fabric that he used to wear domineeringly. He ignored the sudden blurriness of his vision, and the rare hot trail and salt filled water running down his cheeks.

Nor did he care when he felt a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"C'mon Johnny," Dukey pause for a moment, "-Let's go."

Gathering the still folded clothes, he turned to his best friend and nodded.

This day, they were finally going to see the sun and feel its seductive rays of hope and life, breathe air that was unlike the artificial air they inhaled at the moment. They were going to feel alive.

Hopefully.

**XXX**

Aaron Hurricane University was one of the best. Almost comparable to Ivy League if not better with the benefits.

This was where Mary escaped from her past. She left Porkbelly University three years ago from the guilt that her twin sister was disgusted by and the guilt that her parents tried to see through in hopes of finding her forsaken little brother.

Since that day, she had never seen him. She couldn't even use an excuse of giving them extra supplies because there was enough to last for six people for over a decade.

She spent most of her teenage hood regretting. And repenting.

Somehow, if she didn't indulge in anything that made her feel happy, then it would make up for the happiness she took away from her brother. At least, that was what she told herself before she slept and when she awoke.

Mary did not know where her sister was and did not care. She spared no sympathy for her jaded sister.

While she was left in her own pile of self pity, Susan acted as if the whole world was imperfect, to blame for Johnny's accident. And she strove to perfect it.

She worked on the machine that forced out so much of his blood, upgrading it each chance she got.

Susan tested it on small animals as well, the innocent ones like strays looking for a home. She would bring them in and care for them till their health levels were above average. Then she would force the monstrosity on their bodies.

The result always ended in blood, and Mary would enter the lab and find the entire floor decorated gruesomely with bloody corpses and the life liquid itself, flowing out of their bodies and onto the cold linoleum floor.

The sight would force her to vomit endlessly till she was sure she was losing her sanity and morality by not doing anything about it. Not even threatening to report her to the science authorities.

Why?  
>Because just as she had plentiful things on Susan, Susan had the greatest thing on Mary to make sure they would both go down.<p>

Staying in that town made her eyes dull and hair limp. Her energy was consumed and sooner or later, thoughts of ending it all began to sound very acceptable.

But her parent had never been the same since Johnny's 'disappearance', always worrying if she or Susan would be next. Coddling was ensured and soon the suffocation of what she had done, keeping her sister's inhuman experiments secret, and her parents maddening sadness of their loss in which she was part of almost brought her to the brink.

So she packed any clothes she was fond of and mainly books and moved out of Porkbelly, leaving a letter to her remaining family when she was seventeen.

Applying to Aaron Hurricane University was just on a whim. She lived in a quaint little town with tall buildings and streets filled with the hustle and bustle similar to New York. It was call Brooks.

She moved into a normal apartment with a nice view of the constantly hurried roads. He also took phone calls from her parents, saying she was alive and fine.

Susan never made any attempts to speak with her and Mary approbated with the fact. Three years later, she was in her junior year, majoring in Animal Science and minoring in English Literature.

Piling herself with work was the only way for her to keep the bad thoughts away, to keep herself from staring at her hands endlessly for hours on end wondering what she was doing with her life. To keep the memories of what-had-been and could-of-happens from obscuring her life.

At least, until she got a phone call from the one person she hadn't talked to in over three years time.

A text with the message from Susan Test, her twin sister.

'**Johnny has escaped'**

**XXX**

Just as her sister left, soon she did as well, ignoring her parent's pitiful looks and decided she needed a change of scenery.

Nothing had really gone right after the incident. Her parents were no longer subdued and tried to integrate themselves into her life.

Her life saving experiments was ending in the embodiment of what would be considered horror-movie like.

Her own sister was spineless and left her to rot as if it wasn't her fault as well.

Her one and only crush had surprisingly graduated from high school with surprisingly again, honors and left for college elsewhere. Last she heard Gil's mother was giving out invites to his wedding.

Eugene had grown up as well, and a speck of his attention was never in Susan's direction anymore. He now focused on girls who now wanted him instead of the other way around, especially with his now, healthier body.

Anyone she had afiltrated herself with due to Johnny's trouble making and become distant from her existence, moving with their own lives.

And yet, it didn't matter; she had the key to Johnny's freedom and wasn't letting go anytime soon.

She would make sure of that.

Thought it stroke her odd that they had disabled so many of the security cameras so early on.

But other than that, complete silence.

So Susan was left to further her work in Martin King's University of Health Sciences in another town far east called Nora Path.

It was barely populated, and that meant that secrets could be kept secret.

She rebuilt her lab in the house she bought and made it look like a home to the standard bystander. But it was a place where she conducted her study.

Science ruled her life, the world was imperfect because it shunned science and in turn people were dying from diseases that could have been avoided. Science could save everyone, the near dead and the sickened, and prevent unwarranted death.

She could prevent the epidemic know as Death and destroy it with her intellect.

If only she could just figure out what had happened five years ago.

The machine she had brought and rebuilt time over time was a cell over stimulator.

After a cell carries out its function, it dies. And the same thing happens due to the brain sending out orders.

The cell over stimulator sent shockwaves to Johnny's brain, to send messages to his cells to work on a constant over drive that his body could handle and produce more cells to regulate the process.

But the destructive telekinesis, the change in appearance, that was not in the vision Susan had been trying to build. She had no choice to detain him, a now danger to the world she was desperately trying to save.

It was tiring when various scientists tried to overcome death by immense amounts of formulas and serums, only to fall in the end to the theories being disproved and the cold hard fact that people stricken with illness and cancer and everything she stood against, should just accept death, no matter how slow or fast it arrived.

Susan refused to accept that! She would prove the lot of them fool and beggars when her experiment succeeded. When the majorly sick and bed ridden would be on their feet by her miracle. She refused to believe she was anything short of a genius.

So as she worked on the schismatic's once more for the cell stimulator, an alarm went off, an alarm that she never thought she would hear.

Set to inform her whenever Johnny or Dukey had broken out of the bomb shelter.

It meant escape . . .

. . . for her dirty little secret.

The biggest mistake she had ever made to her blood brother.

The first thing she did was send a hurried text to her twin Mary.

The next thing she did was get a ticket to the fastest transportation to Porkbelly.

**XXX**

The dirt walls were just as he remembered it, starkly contrasting to the metal walkway. Dukey followed behind him due to the last time they were there, he was unconscious and in immense pain.

His mind alerted them where they were close to making a wrong turn into an identical tunnel.

For some reason, the fact that he could remember something so complex from so long ago astounded him.

It was another thirty minutes until the confusing trail of tunnels were completed.

Both best friends found themselves standing in front of another mechanical door, in every way similar to the last.

That was blown away into an anger filled burst as well.

It smashed messily into the blinding white light.

Both Johnny and Dukey were hesitant toward moving, but Johnny took the first step . . .

. . .into the lab where it all started five years ago.

**I think this chapter was fairly short but entertaining enough for though who preferred Johnny mind to be destructive. I also included Susan and Mary, and I think Mary is the type of person to run away from her problems under the false pretense that she could have done anything.**

**I also hope I made Susan sound obsessed with her little experiment enough to get a feel on her character.**

**Like as said, like it or not, just as long as you review, I'll keep on updating in large amounts.**

**Ja Ne.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sorry for not updating in about a month! Problems with my damn laptop, by the way, I got a better one so faster updates!**

**Anyways, thank you for waiting**

Sitting in an English Literature class, a seventeen-year-old girl sat quietly as she ignored her teacher, absentmindedly fingering the necklace she received on the only decent birthday of her life.

She watched as the wrinkles around Ms. Cane's mouth moved with the words she made, and her blue eyes followed the slight spittle that made its way onto the unlucky student's desk in the front.

She then turned to the window, looking at the foggy white sky, hoping that at least, it'll

snow that week for the thousandth time.

"Cecilia Blakely!"

She slightly jumped, and turned to her teacher, "Yes?"

"Don't you yes me, would you care to tell me what we were talking about!

She blinked, "No, I wasn't listening." Her right hand propped up her right cheek as her left arm rested on her lap. She watched in barely contained amusement as her teacher's face because an angry red, and counted down to three before Ms. Cane said the words she was expecting.

"GO TO THE PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE!"

Gaining the attention of her classmates for the third time that week, she walked out silently smiling.

Her black-heeled boots clacked on the floor silently as her black leather jacket swished and she moved her body down the stairs.

She passed the principal's office and went straight for the door leading out the school.

**XXX**

Johnny had this scene played out in his head a million times in that bomb shelter. In his mind, it was more glorious and happy than what you'd expect from real life.

Instead of breaking out by force, his sisters would finally admit they had made a mistake and let him and Dukey out. They would magically appear in the lab and be greeted by not only his sisters, but by his parents, who would gather him in a bear hug. And Mr. Black and White. And The General. And everyone else.

They would be there to greet him and he would feel whole again.

Now enter real life, in which none of that happened. Of course when considering the options of reality, it would still leave some sort of biting sting.

So as he walked out of that tunnel, he had to blink a few times to get used to the stark whiteness that was his sister's lab. He left Dukey as he walked further and further into the room that held so many memories for him.

Asking for something to make him smarter, taller, something that would get way out of hand and end up getting the lot of them in heaps of trouble.

Where did it all go?

As he walked further, he saw old experiments like the turbo backpack and robo-dad.

He even found the old costumes for Johnny-X and Super Pooch.

"Do you think we would still fit in those?" he asked Dukey, who had followed him

Dukey blanched, "Just thinking about putting those uncomfortable clothes on makes my butt uncomfortable all over again."

The two shared a chuckle as they thought of the memories that were lost, still fresh in their minds as if it was yesterday.

Johnny was about to go in another direction until he noticed something.

The floor as he remembered was as white as the whole room. But this floor looked like it was stained by something red.

Dukey noticed it as well, his dog senses just as strong in his human body, sniffing the air with a distressed look on his face.

"It's blood." He said tonelessly

And Johnny could see that, he could see the thoughts that had been thought in the room.

The last thoughts of animals. The self-righteous thought of his older sister Susan.

He sat on the floor stained by blood as he grabbed at his eyes, seeing thing he would never wish on his greatest enemy.

Slaughter.

Pain.

Horror.

The last frantic thoughts before you were consumed by immeasurable fear.

Johnny cowered as he could see was saw in the lab, and he closed his eyes tightly as if her could block out the images. Corpses. Torn by a force like his own.

Covered in sweat, bile, and unmentionables. Similar to him, to how his blood covered every inch of his body through every opening, pooling around his body, dying, paralyzed with pure fear and the instinct to stay alive.

The animals were unable to contract the want for life like he was. So there small bodies were torn apart by the force that almost took him by death's cold hard grasp.

"Johnny!"

Dukey's voice snapped him out of it, echoing inside his head before he realized he was on the floor in fetal position. Shaking with sweated forming on his back and brow.

"Johnny! Are you okay?"

"Does it look like it?" he managed a sarcastic remark and slight smile, though it pained him especially after what he saw.

Dukey helped him up, and dusted him off, "Let's get out of here, this place gives off a bad stink, and it's not smell." 

Johnny nodded, "Yeah, I think so too, let go."

Surprisingly even after five years, the two could still find their way out of the lab, passing old experiments silently until they reached the old door they entered through whenever they fancied.

Johnny could help but choke up old anamnestic feelings as he remembered all the times he broke in through that door, codes and empty threats and bribes.

Then he remembered the last door and raised his hand to push it through forcefully before Dukey put a hand on his arm.

"Give me a second." And he walked over to the small keyboard to type in something.

A few seconds later a small beep was heard and the door opened, a bit slowly from not being used.

Johnny looked towards his best friend in confusion. Dukey shrugged, "I just put in Gil's last name along with Susan and Mary's name. Same as five years ago."

Johnny couldn't help it but he burst out laughing, not from humor or slight joy at some familiarity, but it was a sardonic cold laughter, brought out from the negative feelings shouldered in his heart. The fact that they could change so much with how he was regarded and yet the infatuation with the 'dreamy' teenage boy was something to be allowed.

Dukey looked at his master worried, looking for any signs of mental pain or anguish.

But the only thing on Johnny's face was tears as he continued to laugh.

**XXX**

She didn't know exactly where she was going or why or how, but then again that was usual. She always did this. Thinking about it, she did.

When she became restless she walked for miles on end, took random buses, road trips, as if she could find him. But she never did.

The farthest she'd gone was in the middle of Wisconsin, right in the capital that reeked of cheese and cow milk. Looking on the bright side, she did have year's supply of cheese now.

Biting her lip, she thought she hadn't searched enough or didn't try hard enough. Stopping in front of a new bakery that had just been built around five months back, she entered.

"Hey Cecil!"

She smiled; using her right hand to brush her heavy bangs back only to have them rest back on her forehead again.

"It's Sissy. Morning to you Mr. Dubose."

She smiled at the large black man with the burly white goatee and warm heart.

Walking over one of the red stools in front of the main counter, Sissy sat, waiting for Mr. Dubose to take her order. Another familiar face greeted her.

"Hm? Cecilia, what are you doing here? School doesn't end for another", pausing to look at the clock, " six hours."

It was a twenty-seven year woman with curly black hair and hazel eyes. She wore a pink and white striped apron. She was holding two cups of hot chocolate in her hands.

"You say that yet you have hot chocolate ready and waiting for me." Sissy said sarcastically

"That'll be five fifty." She said huffily

"Hey! That's high way robbery, Mr. D, Tear is over charging again!"

"I wouldn't have to if you would just stay in school for once."

Mr. Dubose watched this with a smile as he went back into the kitchen.

"By the way, I heard it's supposed to snow."

Sissy scoffed, " They've been saying that for weeks, and it has not snowed once, the weather is made up by the media."

Tear smiled, "Snow is so beautiful, beautiful enough to bet on. Twenty dollars."

"Since it's not going to snow, twenty five."

"Deal."

While Tear left to serve another early customer, Sissy sat alone, left to her thoughts. She was hoping something here could keep her out of her thoughts so that she didn't do something irrational again.

Soon, the one empty cup in front of her became three, along with three small plates that used to contain chocolate cake and raspberry pie slices. Thoughts still nagging at her, she turned to the small television on the counter. Nothing interesting was on.

Soon Sissy gave up and left, leaving her due money. And cursing the fact that she had only spent thirty minutes of her time there.

**XXX**

After the two got out of the lab, they felt a little disoriented. There was dust everywhere, near the attic stairs and it only got worse as they went down. Not because of dust but because there was none at all and they were not aware of where they were anymore.

The carpet was different, a bright white instead of the old yellow. The pictures that his parents used to hang anywhere in the vicinity was for some reason down, the wall where empty and painted a sky blue with no marks from oily hands or dents from being pushed on them.

They checked the living room, which no longer held the couch that had so many memories, instead a cream colored one, the old static television was gone too, replaced by a large screen attached to the wall. The kitchen was refurbished yet it looked untouched. It didn't even smell like Mr. Test's rank meatloaf.

It didn't matter where they looked or searched or even trailed their fingers across, it was a house that looked unlived in except for the fact it was slept in.

So they stayed there for another minute, just standing in the middle of the living room, picture less, dustless, lifeless.

It was when both heard a door unlock their hearts skipped a beat.

**XXX**

Where should she go?

What should she do?

These were the thoughts that circled Sissy's cognitive activity at the moment, as she walked throughout the random streets, purposely avoiding the train and bus stations for fear that she'll go on a frenzy like she always did, in hopeless hopes that she'll find her child hood crush.

And his bashfulness.

And his craziness.

And his unwarranted stupidity.

And everything about him that that single handedly captured Sissy interest from her dull life ruled by her mother's constant love interests, fathers abandonment and school ridiculousness.

Everything that defied what she thought a normal person should be was indefinitely broken and never to be regrown, and she didn't want it to.

Something broke her thoughts all of a sudden, and it was in front of her eyes.

Snow.

The white pure fluffs that rarely hit her town were falling leisurely thought it looked like it would continue through the rest of day and night. And it was only noon.

"Huh, that bitch was right, and now I'm twenty five dollars poorer, shit." She said to her self, and yet there were no real feelings of malice

Instead she was imagining the twenty seven year old woman laughing her haughtiest laugh to herself about winning the bet while scaring off customers at the same time. For some reason it brought a smile to her face.

Looking up in the sky seeing tall building and shops, she could only see what she had been seeing for five years constantly.

Where was Johnny?

**XXX**

They heard a door open and shut closed quietly, and then the two heard two pair of footsteps. One sounded like a woman's and the others a male, at least by Dukey's knowledge. He looked towards his best friend and his heart slowly broke.

Because hope was on Johnny's face.

It was in his eyes so weakly hidden by his hastily brought up mental defenses but it was still there. His hope of regaining his old life.

But he wasn't saddened by the fact that Johnny was feeling that way, but by the fact that he himself had come to terms with what their life was now and Johnny still hadn't and the possibility that nothing would go the way Johnny wanted would happened.

And then the boy would be broken.

Dukey inwardly growled at the two girls responsible for all of this, but what could he do? All he could do is watch and give consolation when needed, for that was the job of a best friend.

The footsteps got closer and closer, and Johnny still hadn't moved a muscle while Dukey was nervous but made his decision to watch with a cool head and mind, no matter the result.

"Mom? Dad?"

A shock in the air appeared from the silence breaking in a matter of seconds, a hasty reply came way.

"Who's there?" it sounded an awful lot like Mr. Test

"I'm calling the police!" Johnny's mother

Johnny broke into a slight sprint to meet the maker of the voices, running as if his life depended on it, Dukey followed.

Johnny was fast and soon he was out of sight, already in another hallway, but seconds later he caught sight of Johnny's back, covered by the gray shirt that was his only wardrobe.

He stopped and saw what Johnny was starring at . . . and couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Ms. Test had lost the young luster and brightness of a business woman and had transformed into a slight homely woman with graying streaks in her hair that was in a bun bringing out the wrinkles around her eyes. Whereas she would wear pencil skirts and form fitting dress jackets, she now wore a sweater with a plain design and a collared shirt underneath and gray dress pants. The only thing she had similar with her former self was her red heels she still wore.

Mr. Test still looked slightly girlish and frail, but he a had a slight hardness around his face his blond hair a stark gray, frown lines around his temples and mouth. His clothes were the same.

They both stared at Johnny and Dukey as he stared at them.

It was then Johnny, arm shyly outraised in a gesture asked, "Mom?"

The woman's eyes widened in fear as she screamed and grabbed her head.

**Yeah, I know, crappy ass chapter after not updating for over a month, but! I am working towards the really exciting parts with the breath taking scenes and stuff, so yeah, please just sit tight and enjoy, I'm really going to make it up to you guys.**

**Thank You for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and subscribing.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry for the long hiatus but I promise longer and more chapters in retribution. I had a writers block that was just stuck in my head and I kept wondering what the Hell I was going to do for this story; Johnny's escaped and all, so after that I was like 'Now what?' so I looked into many many sunsets dramatically and squeezed ideas out of my soul. So I've come up with a few things and now I hope you enjoy.**

**It feels good to write again!**

Her screams were all he needed to know they didn't recognize him, the horror increasingly apparent in her eyes, her aged pale lips widening in horror. His screams for the police, demanding for him to leave and to know who the devil he was showing him the horrible unease in their hearts, the lost hope, and the frenzied fear . . .

The only thing he could remember was the firm grasp of Dukey's hand grabbing his arm and running out of there with him in tow, leaving the hatful screams of his parents echoing within his already messed up mind, their revealed thoughts marring his mind with bleeding scars as he could hear them all.

And that was when Johnny's heart died.

**XXX**

Zipping up her jacket to her neck and being grateful for the fur collar it had around the neck, Sissy put her arms in the warm pockets of her leather jacket. She could feel the small frozen crystals landing in her hair and see the school buses driving in the streets.

It seemed that schools were closed. She could make out a few of her classmates gawking at her from their seats in their own buses, awed that she had not in fact, gone to the office. Sissy in turn scoffed and held her middle finger for the world to see, daring more to stare as one perfectly black manicured fingered pointed in the Holy direction.

Walking down the sidewalks, she noticed that many business owners were already getting out shovels and protruding bags filled to the brim with salt. And soon after that shops would close up. So the only place to go was home.

Suddenly having a sullen look in her eyes she walked in the direction of her empty home, and was displeased at the thought of spending a few days cooped up in her apartment with barely any hot water, gas, and when she though about it, she was running out of food too.

Ten minutes into her walk, Sissy raised her head up in surprise as she raised her right hand to snap in the air at a newfound idea, before realizing there was one more place where she could rest her mind, one more place to figuratively leave the world.

A place where she took her sorrows of loss and thoughts of where Johnny could be. The place where she silently celebrated birthdays for herself and watched fireworks for the past five years. It was a place she could call a home. Just without heat, water, shelter, or food.

She ran.

**XXX**

Mrs. Test sat on the couch, expression dull and eyes dead, a murky ice blue that from afar could resemble black. She had a cup of tea in her hands that had gone cold long ago. As she stared into the brown liquid, she could still see the look alike of her son within the confines of her broken mind, but older with maturity in his posture and muscles under his skin. So, so different from the ten-year-old boy she remembered and loved deeply.

As she thought, she recalled the same flame-resembling hair, but short and messily spiked in the front and long and flowing in the back with red highlights entangled within golden strands.

The last things she remembered was the hope, the fragile hope in his eyes, her baby's eyes.

What if it was him? Yes his skin was paler, and yes his eye color was abnormally different, but what if?

What if?

What if he was not?

Then where was Johnny?

Was he even alive? Was he dead?

Tears sprang once more in her eyes.

What would her husband think? Oh! How she wanted to tell him her sanity deprived theories. Her what if's? Her fears and problems and hopes and long lost dreams. She wanted to tell him that they should search for Johnny again.

But instead she blinked her tears away as she watched as her husband of twenty five years pacing the living room on the phone, the wrinkles on his forehead profound and creases around his mouth adding age to his appearance; he was not talking with the police but their daughters.

Blanking out again, she slowly closed her eyes and left that stressful word full of disappointment and sorrow, where her children were gone and her husband was distant. She escaped to the world of dreams where she relived the days when everything was carefree and so easy . . .

"Please explain what I just saw! I don't care about your law of science or whatever you want to call it! Explain why I saw someone who looked exactly what your brother would have!"

Mr. Test's face was hard with anger and regret; anger for his confusion, and regret from recalling his own son. His daughter's vague answers were not helping whatsoever.

"I'm sorry, it was probably a prank, remember those kids who spread those ridiculous rumors about Johnny when he disappeared?"

It was Susan's calm voice on the end, what had used to be an overly smart and haughty voice, as a teen had become a hypnotic and sultry one as an adult. Her voice spoke to him in a reprimanding tone, as if his age was making him senile and unable to tell the difference between a lamppost and a stop sign.

But he knew what he saw.

"Don't bring that up! There's a difference between now and then, and he-"

Where his voice started out strong became suddenly choked up as memories of his son came and bum-rushed his head, filling it with heart-warming scenes, funny moments, disagreements that started from nothing and ended in laughs, "- he-he, oh God, Susan he looked so much like Johnny… "

Silence for a moment, then Susan's voice was heard again, with just a hint of anger.

"Forget about it Dad, it was just some random guy who wanted to mess with you, don't let it affect you, tell mom I said hi and that I'll be there in less than an hour, I love you both."

Mr. Test paused for a moment and was about to reply until he heard a click. Closing his eyes, he repressed all the memories of his son to the small little box in his mind he attempted time and time again to throw away. The times they yelled and argued, the times they were at odds, the times they laughed, they times they shared . . .

Walking to the couch his sleeping wife sat, he sat next to her lightly and looked at the face that captivated him so many years ago. She was unconsciously crying.

Putting his head in his hands, he began to weep as well.

**XXX**

Where they were they did not know.

Dukey had been hoping to recognize even a street, but it had seemed that everything had changed. He could hear their bare feet beat against the concrete ground and he ignored the gravel digging into his now human skin. He ignored the cold weather biting into his skin. The freshly falling snow freezing his bones. But he didn't care; all he wanted to do was get his best friend somewhere safe.

The smells he stored in his head for get away streets and alleyways and emergency hiding places were gone; most houses that he could remember being blown up in an experiment and rebuilt all over again were empty. The streets he used to casually lounge around were without children.

It was like Porkbelly had suddenly become dead.

Just like the boy who's hand he was holding.

His body moved as Dukey ran, and he was even keeping up with how fast Dukey was, running on fresh Earth terrain again, but some thing was terribly wrong and Dukey couldn't help but turn and look every few seconds for changes.

Johnny's eyes were dead. What had been a slightly cold yet vibrant electric blue was a covered by a dark hue turning them into a dark indigo. His eyes were downcast and empty. He seemed completely desolate and gone from the world. His entire atmosphere was artic.

And yet Dukey didn't stop running, his biggest fear at the moment was not the problem within Johnny, nor his parent's reaction. But the people who had started this entire mess to begin with.

If they came, and no one recognized them, then they could easily put them away into hiding again, and the pure fear of not breathing the fresh air, of walking freely with a right, of seeing the sun, was what drove Dukey to look from something or somewhere safe to hide.

**XXX**

Pier 46.

Porkbelly was such a small town with a small government unit for protection, but the economy in the market of the town was rapidly falling since it was such a small town with barely any publicity. The state decided to have the town merge with two other small towns in the same predicament.

So two bridges were going to be constructed to the other towns to become one whole city. What would happen after that was uncertain. In fact, a name for the city hadn't even been chosen. But the large body of water that separated Porkbelly from those towns was soon to be obscured by a large high way bridge.

This body of water, where ships gathered and storage units stood with machinery in them near the dock, where the salt of the water combined with the scent of the air was where Sissy went.

It was where she went when she wanted to think.

It was where she went when she had to keep herself sane, even when she felt like breaking for just a moment.

The snow made it all that magical for her that it captivated her till all she wanted to do was stare.

If only life was that easy.

Smiling wryly to herself, she shook her head and looked once more, taking the whole scene of the sea and the gray sky with the white little miracles falling to the ground.

She forced herself away enough to think about going home, and getting some good rest, along with hopes of no pity calls from the adults who were obligated to call her, she was not on good terms with any of them.

Soon, her problems were off her mind and her mood, though not optimistic, was calmed. Her heart felt lighter and her blue eyes were less hardened than they were a moment ago. It was then with a great reluctance she left.

The snow got heavier and heavier until soon Sissy had to burrow her head into the neck of her jacket for some warmth.

Soon she broke out into a sprint and after a few minutes that turned into a run.

Running. Running. The heat in her legs warmed her up some, but the fatigue from running in the cold weather was catching up to her.

It was when she saw a figure in the heavy snow she stopped abruptly. She could see it running just like she was, but was unable to differentiate between genders or number of those running in the horrible weather; if it was one or two? She couldn't see all that well, in the snow, or blizzard, which is what it truly felt like.

It was when she bumped the somethings or someones and felt to her bottom as she realized it was two people.

With no shoes on, and one had extremely pale skin.

Feeling the sense of calm that Pier 46 had brought her rapidly leave, she slowly seethed in anger, feeling pity for the ones to feel her wrath, but also feeling anger for the ones who had made her lose her hard earned sense of calm. Her eyes blazed looking for the forms and in a few seconds flat, her blues eyes rested to two forms as her mouths opened, ready to speak acidic words and then leave, wanting to get home quickly.

But then her eyes widened, and her heart began to echo in her ears as her heart failed to work normally and sputter uselessly in her chest. The acid died on her tongue and she swallowed it back like bile.

But she ignored that.

She ignored the realization in her heart, and the disbelief in her mind.

The only thing she really paid attention to be the flaming red hair she remembered, akin to hers.

And then she grabbed the nearest hand, and ran.

**So? What do you think for a comeback? To short or too long?**

**Did my description suck ass or were they at least considered good? Did I make you all want to read more?**

**I really want to apologize for a long time and want to receive advice from readers (real advice) to see if I've gotten rusty. I hope not to offend and I'll try not to let the critics effect me too much (be delicate, I bruise easily).**

**I will update again by this Sunday, so I hope you all will be looking forward to that as well.**

**Ja Ne!**


	9. Chapter 9

Sissy wasn't quite sure what she was doing. She had just grabbed a stranger's hand on a whim. An odd one. And she was sure that she was gripping the hand while effectivly cutting off any blood circulation. And running in the snow wasn't making anything better, but … but!

She couldn't shake off this surreal feeling, this nervousness pulsating in her head, her heart beating erratically as she barely stopped her knees from shaking within their sockets as she ran. Sissy continuously tried to find her original sense of calm and usual strong mental standing but it was becoming insanely impossible for her.

Focusing mainly on the sound of her boots clacking on the concrete, focusing all her optical abilities to finding her way back to her apartment in the damned snow and making sure repeatedly that she was not under any hallucinogens or dreaming, she bit the inside of her mouths, the pink flesh of her right cheek bleeding red metal, using the taste of iron to strengthen her senses.

Sissy made sure not to let go.

XXX

A pair of black stiletto heeled boots clacked onto the steps of her former home as her black miniskirt and black knit panty hose had freshly fallen snow sticking to the fabric. A woman of 21 knocked delicately onto the door, expecting it to open immediately and soon due to the black fur jacket not being enough to ward away the bitter frost of the cold.

But a few minutes later, her call was unanswered as she was still outside. Knocking a bit louder, she listened for any footsteps coming to the door as she still suffered from the insufferable cold and horrible bone-chilling freeze.

A minute later, the door opened with hesitation as she forced her way through the yellow painted oak and through her startled father who was gaping in surprise at the sight of his daughter.

Susan Test had changed considerably in five years in appearance so it always slightly unnerved Mr. Test when he caught sight of his daughter's style of dressing up.

At the moment, she wore a black miniskirt that ended midthigh and underneath she wore stockings along with high heels he couldn't imagine his own wife wearing even in her prime. When she shruggeded off the black fur jacket she donned a frilled white blouse that was simple yet elegant. Gone were the boxy glasses she wore in her earlier years as she wore contacts in her blue eyes. Her hair was cut in a short pixy cut and her bangs were sharp and precise to meet the beginning of her eyebrows.

"Hi Dad, its so great to see you too." The was a slight angry tone to her voice that put Mr. Test off but he ignored it as he walked back to the living room where his wife and his second daughter who had arrived earlier sat.

Unlike the mature woman appearance Susan had adopted in her years, Mary's growth a bit more palpable and less overwhelming.

She wore a Jonesy snap pale green shirt and a heavy black wool cardigan sweater that was open half way and had long sleeves to where it was long enough to cover even half of her hands to the beginning of her fingernails. Along with that she wore simpler skinny jeans and furry boots. Her hair was a disarray of curls and small intricate braids that she held all back with a rubber band. Unlike her sister, Mary had kept her cat-eyed glasses but had altered them to be smaller, the lenses clearer, and more fitting to her slimed face.

When Mary's eyes met Susan's, Susan had to keep from smirking in delight at the fear in her sister's eyes. She could see the signs of fear as Mary gripped the cloth of her sweaters and quickly averted her eyes.

Luckily her father had missed this little exchange, "Girls, I'm sure you've heard what happened. And I called the both of you here for a family meeting, which I hope we all don't disagree on things."

There was a little familial tension and Mary turned to her mother who was just staring at the television screen watching whatever was on the blue screen; her eyes were empty hollows and it seemed that she wouldn't be able to get a reaction to form within her mother.

"Dad, has Mom been taking her depression meds lately?"

Mary's eyes widen in surprise and mild anger as she stared at her sister.

Mr. Test was just as taken aback but he answered, "She doesn't need them, she's fine, just tired."

Susan pressed on, determined to keep what she was really here to talk about from happening, " I prescribed them to her because she's not herself; prolonged moments of silence, insomnia, night terrors, she needs help D-"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Susan stiffened as Mary slightly jumped in her seat. Mrs. Test didn't move at all.

It had become a rarity for Mr. Test to raise his voice when Johnny disappeared, and for the first time, Mary and Susan found themselves fearing the repercussions that followed their father's punishments; something neither had felt in a long time.

"Do not think for one second that I don't have the authority to kick you out of my house for being disrespectful! I did not invite you over to have you nit pick at any problems we might have as you see fit Susan; nor did I invite you Mary to sit and be silent like scorned child again!"

Both women were frozen as they watched the angered man breath in and out in barely repressed anger as they realized they were not too old for spankings and groundings.

" . . . Hon?"

Mrs. Test's voice surprised all of them as she turned from the television and looked at her husband."

"Yes?" He was suddenly at her side, ready to hear her, like a true confident and a loving husband

" Get the girls some tea and set the table, we have a lot to discuss and arguing won't solve our problems."

Then turning to the girls, "And welcome home girls, I hope the both of you are doing well in your studies and are keeping in touch, you'll need each other in these tough times." And with a weak smile at the highest threshold of calm she beckoned to Susan as her husband rushed to do what she told him and Mary rushed to help.

"And Susanne."

Flinching at the use of her formal name, she asked, "Yes?"

"I am not in need of any depressants. At all."

XXX

Sissy's apartment was not what you'd expect from a teenage girl living by herself.

It was fairly sized but not at all decorated with any picture of family or friends. She lived on the second floor so her balcony was filled to the brim with snow. The place itself had two bedrooms, a living room, one bathroom, and a kitchen.

Sissy sat in the only couch in her living room, with the heater on at full blast and a towel around her neck as she dried her wet golden and crimson tresses. Gone was her leather jacket as she absorbed the heat through her black and white fitted striped shirt. Her eyes were blank as she though about several things that were complicated her mind at the moment and the one question on her mind right now . . .

"I'm I dreaming?"

Nothing met her question, until she heard silent footsteps to where she was, and her sight was met with a tan pair of feet in front of her since she was looking down. Taking the towel off her head, she looked up to absorb what she was looking at.

An older teen, roughly eighteen to nineteen, with tanned skin and unruly hair that resembled a dog's fur but more humane. And hazel sharp eyes that were looking straight at her.

She returned the gaze until one of them spoke, and it was him who spoke first.

"No, you are not dreaming."

Not even feeling like looking embarrassed at being caught talking to herself she asked, "Then why I'm I so confused, I feel like I should be happy, but something keeps making me . . . sad." Sissy felt that nothing was wrong with confiding with a stranger she had grabbed in the middle of the street for some reason. And oddly enough, she felt she had met the man somewhere.

Ignoring her, he continued, "Do you know who we are?"

Nodding slightly, she replied, "Yeah. I know that the one in my spare room acting like Mr. Gloom and Doom, is Jonathon Test and he disappeared over five years ago. I've been looking for him and I-I've never stopped, even when I was told . . ." her voice raising an octave as she got slightly emotional but stopping as she stuttered and trailed off, the pressure in her head getting heavier and heavier till she felt like her mind itself was bursting from within.

"Do you feel a weird pressure in your head?"

Snapping, she said, "Yeah!" he didn't have to be so analytical about it.

"Ignore it, what is it you remember about Johnny Test?"

Without even having to think, she said, "That he was warm. And he had his stupid moments which was a lot. And he had a stupid dog that followed him everywhere. And crazy sisters."

"A stupid dog, huh. And what was that dog's name?"

"Dukey."

"Yes?"

Sitting down on his bottom with legs down casually on the floor and palms on the floor, he smiled boyishly at her with a few of his canines, sharper than a normal human's, showing.

"Long time no see Sissy."

XXX

Even though their parents had relayed everything that had happened at approximately 1:37 P.M., and even though both Mary and Susan knew what had happened going by their own knowledge, they listened avidly, only interrupting for questions and bathroom breaks.

Mary avoided any contact with her twin at all costs; even restraining herself from interrupting her sister's concocted theory's about what had really happened. She had to physically restrain herself before the guilt consumed her, before she really sank into her madness.

"Mary?"

Mrs. Test touched her shoulder, "Are you alright?"

Pulling a smile to her lips she nodded, "I'm just tired, this weather made me sick and I'm studying for exams, life is kinda tough right now."

Doubtful, she allowed Mary's excuse, "All right, I think it's getting late anyway, I'm going to call it a night, you girls can go on home."

Susan cut into the conversation, "Actually, I think it would be better for us to stay in a hotel for a about a week, just to make sure nothing like this reoccurs."

"Thank you, we appreciate the offer." Mr. Test said

"Anything." Susan was practilly beaming, and yet Mary couldn't help but keep back a cold shiver running down her back from being known.

Standing up from the couch, she excused herself while hastily grabbing her green pea coat jacket and quickly she put it on before she was smothered. She was simply suffocating; this guilt was making a brew in her stomach and making its way up her throat. It felt like vomit.

Swallowing it down, she said her goodbyes and left quickly, getting into the small red Toyota 2007 and exiting quickly.

The feeling didn't not dissipate till she had made arrangements at a nearby hotel more than a hour later, the feeling eating at her insides a little slowly now, becoming bearable.

But it soon gobbled up her entire being when she got a text from her sister at 12 A.M. saying to meet her in the morning.

The madness began it course in her head once more.

XXX

If she were drinking water, she probably would have spat out for comedic relief like they did in the cartoons and movies.

But she was not drinking any water, and this was not a movie, nor was it any type of cartoon.

This was freaking real.

And the doggy like smile from the teen that had just been interrogating her a moment ago was actually the dog that had followed her crush around when they were kids, occasionally caught with coffee between his paws and a comedy shirt displaying that he was not in fact a dog.

And right now he wasn't.

Yes, when she though about, it made a lot of sense; after Johnny's disappearance, his dog magically turned into a human, saved Johnny from wherever the hell he was and had feet, hands, and opposable thumbs.

Like shit.

"Okay, that's it. Get out of my house."

A confused look came upon Dukey's/ the teen's? face, " Why?"

"Because!"

"As far as I'm concerned, you're the one who dragged us here in the first place, in the cold and pulled us into your apartment. Under the law, that's kidnapping."

"Wha-"

Flashing another doggy smile, "Besides, what would you do without your precious Johnny?"

Flushed, Sissy stayed quiet, the pressure in her head still strong, but her emotions overriding her senses enough for her to effectively ignore it.

"Prove that you're Dukey then."

And with a triumphal look, she sat back on her couch ready to hear excuses that confirmed her disbelief.

"When you were kids, you once tried on your mom's perfume in a vain attempt to get Johnny's attention. When he said you stank, you sucker punched him."

Choking on her own spit she watched as the dog in a human's body continued.

" Since you were just as anti-social as Johnny in your youth, you always came over to our place to annoy us with you pink dog, Missy. You even ate a 50 week year old corndog and beat him at Smash badger 3."

"Wait-"

"And on your twelfth birthday, he got you that necklace that you are wearing." He said pointing to the pink rock at her neck

"And wasn't even sure if you'd like it and was a nervous wreck."

Holding the pink rock on her necklace, she stared at Dukey, thoughts still forming of what to say next.

"Fine, you're Dukey. I got it, shut the hell up now."

"I knew you'd see it my way."

"Just one question."

"Yeah?"

"How'd you know about that . . . perfume thing?"

Smirking, he showed off his canines, " Duh, dog remember? Heightened sense of smell."

**Yes I updated, yes I'm not dead. And yes, I think I might of rushed this chapter, but! I still would like to know suggestions cause I think I might feel another writer's block coming on.**

**No seriously, talk to me, I'm like a lonely housewife right now.**

**R&R!  
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**Ja!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Just so you know, I was traveling. And yes, this an excuse that I forgot to post in on of my earlier chapters, even though I miraculously remembered to post the warning on Fiction Press. . . **

**So yeash . . .Please don't come to my house and kill me, I'm delicate.**

Sissy was unusually giddy.

Like Christmas cheer giddy.

The kind of giddy an over-emotional girl her age would have kind of giddy.

The fact that she was able to hide any physical features of this giddiness with the exception of her consistent chewing of her long fringe on the sides of her forehead with nervousness and the fresh and bright pink hue that took up her usual placid cheeks, starting from her belly and rising its way up in different correlations was remarkable.

But that giddiness was subdued.

With reality and the strong ominous scent in the air. The baffling fact that it had been just that easy to find Johnny. That what had happened for five years, what made Porkbelly dull with lack of nuclear accidents and dramatic claims of 'not seeing that coming', was a fact still unknown. The giddiness was killed with the harshness of that situation and numbing fact that Sissy realized.

It had been a week since Sissy had found Johnny and Dukey in that blizzard, and yet she only had the faintest recollection of unruly and haphazardly cut light blond and crimson red locks of hair and a pale tall and muscled body only approximately 3 inches taller than she was.

Dukey had made himself at home in her large apartment, using her coffee maker, taking long hot water bathes, and if he was in the mood; which was every moment possible, taking long gazes at the sun from her porch window if the snow letting up would let him. His large tan fingers would touch the window pane as if he wanted to actually touch it.

He looked as if it was the first time he had seen the sun.

Which is what he was doing at the moment with one of her spare towels around his neck and sweats on his body. Sissy felt uncomfortable interrupting the forlorn look of longing and hesitant calmness from the canine-teen, but her curiosity was getting the best of her.

She also had a hard time wrapping her head around what had actually happened to Johnny and Dukey. The whole thing sounded like it was pulled out from a horribly directed sci-fi film in which she would watch with boredom and promptly laugh at when something unbearably corny happened. The gut- crunching, loud, hilarity inducing laughter was not in the least involved with this current situation.

This was raw, horrifying, and if she went by Dukey's descriptions', each and everyone highly detailed one, it was bloody as well as vomit inducing.

Her heart went out to them.

But her mind was skeptical.

Just as it was uneasy to digest the fact that two seemingly nice yet horribly smart teenage girls who were notorious for testing ridiculous experiments on their brother to the whole town with the disturbing exception of their parents, had taking things too far and had instead of repenting and owning up to the heinous thing they had done, they had the gall to be afraid of what they themselves had created and locked them up. Johnny had suffered; he hadn't breathed fresh air, looked at the sky, and eaten natural food, for an unbearable and lagging five years.

He suffered through some undistinguishable anguish that Dukey had refused to dwell within, claiming Johnny himself had to tell her. He had to learn how to deal with it to the point where he wouldn't be mentally dangerous, had to apply it to his unstable humanity and under all of that, had barely survived.

He hadn't seen her for five years.

He hadn't seen the sun for five years.

"A penny for your thought's."

Sissy's head snapped up, her eyes wide with surprise as she was snapped out of her depressing thoughts and unfriendly demeanor. She turned to see Dukey, well the human version of Dukey towering over her small form with her knees hugged up to her chest and her arms wrapped around her legs as she was on her couch. She still wore the same clothes as she had a week ago when she had found them, the striped long sleeved shirt and blue jeans. She had bags under her eye lids.

"Depends, do you even have a penny?"

Shrugging, Dukey sat down next to her looking absolutely ridiculous in her hot pink sweats and big white t-shirt; it barely covered his mid-drift.

Looking at him she asked, "Why don't you wear the clothes that you came in, I washed them and they're probably dry by now."

Dukey looked away, by not in annoyance but because he eyes began to linger to the door in which Johnny was behind, the room Johnny himself had not left.

"I burned mine."

Sissy sat up in a hurry, almost worried before Dukey calmed her down, "No, no, not in your place."

Sitting back down, Sissy was still wary.

"I took it out back where the furnace was behind the apartment complex were they burn unmentionables, I threw it in and watched it burn."

"Why?"

"I wore that damned clothing for five years isolated from the world. Why wouldn't I?"

Sissy didn't respond. She went back to her thoughts. Her early giddiness had died out to a snuffed flame only leaving depression and a horrible curiosity in its wake.

Dueky left the room and went to where Johnny was.

Sissy wished she could do the same.

XXX

Day's had gone by as Mary did her best to find Johnny, but despite not being on public human grounds for quite a while, he was efficient at hiding and keeping away from the public eye.

Mary had lost count of the amount of times she had received strange and mocking, withered looks from people as she asked if they had seen a flame haired kid. It had been strangely unsettling how much she was used to asking that question as a young teen, whenever one of their shenanigans had gone out of control. She was used to being giving answers pointing to a troubled Johnny and Dukey doing whatever they might do to cause her and her twin mental anguish.

Instead of that she was left standing in the street like a fool.

For the twelfth time that day she had not only been told to back off, but also to get a life, step off loser, go away crazy bitch, and other harsh un-pleasantries. And for the twelfth time that day Mary felt lower than dirt because she was so easily thrown to the side, she could vaguely remember a time. . .

"Excuse me!"

She heard the words but her actions were to slow to react in time so she fell to the ground with a resounding 'oomph' as she hit the ground and was on her palms and knees looking even more foolish than she though she could. She looked behind her in annoyance with her green eyes narrowed dangerously behind her cat eyed glasses before she saw that the person who had bumped into her was in fact on the ground looked just a disgruntled, with bags of groceries littered on the gravel sidewalk while she was on her own behind painfully seated on the floor.

She wanted to for once be the person to snap at another, and though she knew no one was really in the wrong, her frustration which rarely showed itself wanted to have a chance to give a verbal beating instead of taking them.

Her eyes opened with acid in their green pools of emerald sparks. Her mouth was prepared to give out longs insulting lists of words one would only find within the yearly SAT test. Her cheeks flared with barely restrained and righteous anger.

But that soon died within her as she saw exactly whom she bumped into.

"Sissy?" her voice, which was about to come out in snapped rivulets, came out to barely match a whisper. Her eyes widen considerably as she stared into the face of the female childhood enemy of her little brother.

But the girl from then and the girl now were two different entities from separate dimensions.

While Sissy as a twelve year old, was smart mouthed and was a considerable show off with a mainstream yet unique sense of punkish style, this Sissy was considerably sharper with her shoulders broad and un-quivering despite her small build. Her long hair that resembled Johnny's was now a short unruly bob with natural and dyed red streaks. And her eyes had the faintest sign of purplish bags under them.

'Sissy' ignored the whisper saying her name as she begin to pick up the objects that fell out of the two large paper bags she held in her hands. Food that consists of both meats and vegetables with some comfort food like Twix bars and two one pound bags of almonds. A plastic bag she reached for was already open and two oranges began to roll away.

Mary caught them as she gestured her orange filled hands to Sissy, with an attempt at a smile on her face and a struggling voice that tried to sound nonchalant, "Hello Sissy, it's been a long time."

Mary wanted to make contact with somebody from her teen years. She had closed herself from the world and everyone in it including her parents letting herself tear her mind apart and creating mental defenses just to tear them down again. The way of hurting herself was a vicious cycle. But she had just a spark of hope in her eyes as she saw that this was a person who knew nothing of what she had done.

Who wouldn't ask her why did she leave.

Who knew nothing about Johnny.

The hope began to build up higher and higher and was about to overflow as it bubbled to the surface of her mouth; her mind already coming up with was she would say twenty sentences later after she initiated the conversation.

Sissy, with her bangs covering her eyes, snatched the oranges from her hands and stuffed them into her bag. Taking the two large paper bags, as she cradled them within the safety of her arms, she walked away. Mary, who still was in some state of unaltered shock watched as Sissy turned from the direction she was walking.

That hope flared up once more.

Sissy gave her the most cold-hearted glare her eyes could manage, her bangs on her forehead and sides shaping her heart shaped face giving her a cold regal look. The pale skin unwavering. The purple bags under her eyes helping the Ice blue of her pupils give a more than effective stare as she turned back around and began walking again with out a word.

The icicles that began to stab through Mary's heart stabbed the hope.

XXX

Whenever Sissy was in a pissy mood, nobody could really tell if she was. Her pissed off mood was no different from her normal mood. The snappy comeback and insults, the withering glares, and the punch that made one want to rub their right shoulder, as they would begin to think about it.

So when Sissy came home from her five minute encounter with Mary Test, poor Dukey, who had changed from his human body that was sprawled all over the couch and was in his four legged furry companion body, really did not see it coming.

Walking through the front door, Sissy didn't even notice the change as she kicked the pantry open and began to put the dry products away. Then put things in the freezer, then fridge. Her eyes were focused solely on was her newfound task at the moment.

Keep herself from killing Mary Test.

To go straight to the house where she would go to annoy Johnny on the weekends and strangle the life out of her until the last drop of life left her soul.

The anger she felt deep down on the inside scared her but also felt like a self righteous anger, with barely enough restraint to keep her carnal instincts down and calm as she pulled out a defrosted bag of chicken thighs and three cups of rice. She focused solely on the RIP as she tore the bag full of wet chicken out and the CHOP CHOP CHOP as she began to chop it into miniscule pieces that had pieces of fat and muscle on the blood pink squares.

She focused on the SHAKE SHAKE SHAKE of the seasoning she put in a separate bowl and the SPLASH! of water and teriyaki sauce she put into the bowl as she dropped each chicken piece into the bowl watching and listening to the silent PLOP's that she wished lasted a bit longer. Sissy did the best of her abilities to drown out the anger, the pain, and the indignant feeling of disgust as she remembered Mary Test's sun kissed skin and healthy glow and feeling of normalcy as she had to bit down her tongue at the feeling of expressing her thoughts and keep herself from responding.

Johnny's skin was the color of pale snow from years of no sun and artificial light.

Quickly looking for something else to focus her mind on, she grabbed the bag of rice and to the last milligram, measured it in a cup and emptied it into a pot as she watched it begin to boil with the two cups of water she had mixed into it.

"Hey."

Sissy's shoulder's hunched as she was struck with a harsh sense of surprise. It was Dukey. She still hadn't gotten rid of the soul suffocating anger.

Keeping herself as close to calm as she could, she replied, " Yeah?" she voice grated in her throat giving her voice a harsh impersonation.

Dukey's eyebrow's furrowed as he asked immediately after that struggle to reply, "What's wrong?" a deep concern in his voice, despite only meeting her for the first time in years after just a few days.

"Nothing" There, that was better. Cold, unfeeling, empty. A numbing coldness that blew away the fire that was building within Sissy's throat, wanting to scream, shriek, get the horrible feeling away form her.

"Really . . . and this wouldn't have anything to do with what happened between your time of absence and now. I mean, you can probably make popcorn chicken with what you just cut up. Makes me wonder what you could do with a knife in your hands . . ." he trailed off, baiting her.

"I went to get food, walked home. Simple." Getting out vegetables, she began to wash those and cut them as well.

"And then what?" Dukey continued to press on

"Nothing."

With a mocking smile and a hard seriousness in his eyes, Dukey got closer to her, over the counter where she was cutting things, and said, "I don't believe you."

Suddenly, a knife was in his face, very close to his eyes as they widened despite the fact that he didn't flinch or react in time to anticipate this peculiar action.

"Believe me, I'm fine." The coldness was gone in her eye, a begging, a plead for rest. For him to let it go. Let her suffer in her own silence until it was all over and she felt a bit more human.

Dukey was silent. Sissy was silent.

Then Dukey put a furry paw on the knife that was near his face and pushed it gently away, "No."

The chicken boiling within the broth in the pot was beginning to overflow with an overwhelming scent that came from the boiling steam around the kitchen. It smelled rotten. The rice in the pot began to burn to a disgusting looking pale brown as that smell reacted to the rotten scent already. The air in the room became unbearable to breathe in as Sissy suddenly cracked.

She threw the cutting board off the counter as she slammed the counter with her open faced hands itself leaving her palms a painful looking red. The vegetable all fell to the floor, the natural water inside of it draining into the linoleum floor as she then, with much aggressiveness, threw the two pots with the ruined food into the nearest sink ignoring and avoiding the water that splashed out of it was the steel got worse. A loud agonized scream left her as she stormed out of her small kitchen, her bare feet slapping on the messed up floor with thundering sounds, and her eyes showing unabashed anger.

Dukey, for the first tome shocked, got out of her way as Sissy left and walked to her room, and slammed the door. He expected one of the hinges to snap.

It did.

Looking at the newfound mess she had made, Dukey sighed as he poked a wet and soggy vegetable on the surface of the counter, already looked sad and pitiful.

"Looks like I'm going to have to clean up this mess."

XXX

Sissy's room was a plethora of simplicity and teenage caution.

There were dark and harsh colors that deeply contrasted to the room she had years ago that donned a sickening pink. The carpet was crimson and the walls were covered in wallpapers that had colors of gray and mainly black. All patterned to look depressing and as intimidating as possible.

Despite the morbid feeling of the room, the space was unexpectedly clean. There was a glass-surfaced desk in the corner without a trace of dust or grim on the surface and atop that laid a few textbooks and a MacBook Pro with the wires that made up the charger was wrapped up neatly beside it.

On the other side of the room was an ebony bookshelf with three shelves, the first filled and stacked to the brim with fiction novels correlating from angst to drama to simple romance to classic and old English tragedies that were recommended for her age mate list of high school books to read, books she devoured and memorized from plot to plot and each and every twist and turn the writers themselves could think of.

The second shelf was half filled with old folder and notebooks from old schools yeas and the notes she had deemed useful incase of final exams or just the need to make sure she wasn't losing her touch in school. The other half had old CD's that had gone out of style seeing as though even one now had either their music stored on their computers, phones, IPod's, Mp3"s, etc. Old disks with tracks from good alternative rock bands that blocked the world out and filled Sissy's head with mixes of guitars matching the high a singer's voice could reach while hers - as she would try to sing along – could not. And the combination of the bass and guitars that numbed her from the inside out.

The third shelf was where Sissy looked at as her anger from before was still strong and at the center her mind. The third shelf was filled of maps and encyclopedias and atlas and even the cheap road maps she collected from drunken truckers in hopes of finding Johnny. Maps she had collected as she traveled from New York, to Charlotte North Carolina, to even the deepest corner of California. Walking by foot, hitch hiking, car jumping, riding on buses from six in the morning to midnight itself.

And it turns out Johnny was right there, right under her nose. In some unknown freaky-ass basement as an experiment gone wrong. If she counted the blocks from her old house to his place, it was a simple five-block walk. From her an apartment, it was a five mile one. But he had never left Porkbelly. The town that was dying from the inside out. That had died when he disappeared.

Grabbing everything, from the maps she had spent hours pouring herself over, to the books she had read as she memorized word for word. She went to her window that was right next to the balcony, and with a short and contrite heave, threw all of it out the window into the snow, watching the paper fall gently as it floated in the air and the books dropped with a heavy plop. The snow that was coming from the sky slowly began to cover it.

And as Sissy looked at it, something in her died as she felt the beginnings of tears come at the edges of her eyes. Rubbing furiously at them, she kept her lips from trembling. Her eyes from springing more tears. Her anger dissolving into something more dangerous.

Sadness.

An utter feeling of despair.

She soon fled onto the comforting surface of her bed, the pure white sheets and black cover pillows putting her in a somber mood as she let them fall, finally accepting her fall from grace with a bit more acceptance than how she handled it before.

But her eyes opened as she heard some shuffling noises as she sniffed from her nose the mucus that was her snot, and rubbed at her red and raw eyes. Her window, which she had slammed shut, was open. But she was sure she had closed it. And some of her books and road routes and traveling guides was back and on her shelf, more to her horror.

Then she froze as she double-checked to see if she was truly going mad.

She watch as a bundle of pages she had thrown out, as well as brochures and even the cheap maps, rose out of the snow and unwrinkled itself as the water from the snow was drained from it and with crisp finality, as Sissy followed the floating paper with her eyes, it set itself gently onto her shelf like she had never moved it. But she had not.

And with a sudden heaviness in her head, she felt the compelling urge to turn around as if she should – must – see what was there. At her doorway. Making her thrown away objects that filled her with sorrow come back to her as if she had never thrown them away. Her neck turned slowly, like she was moving it but also not moving it.

Her eyes were frantic beneath their azure glow but hesitant and wary on the surface.

And then it stopped.

For Sissy, if you said their was a such thing in life such as time stopping when some awe strikingly amazing or fear inducing horrible happened, she would first tell you that it was all considered to her bullshit though she seldom cursed that vulgarly, and second laugh in your face with such finality and harshness that it was cruel and made one feel foolish.

But Sissy felt it.

And her heart stopped.

Her nose stopped inhaling and exhaling.

Her fingers stopped twitching.

Her blood stopped moving.

Time stopped.

Time stopped as she stared into ice blue eyes that held the identical shape and intent she recognized from years ago. At the pale snow skin that used to be tan. At the long fiery blond hair that was crudely cut and messily spiked in the front and enviously long in the back.

She stared at the taller, almost lanky build that she would have to guess, now made him taller than her despite her having just a few inches over him as kids.

She stared at the ghost white lips and the hardened slender face and chin.

She stared at Johnny. And she stared at her.

Her voice came out in a pathetic and withering stutter, "J-John-ny . . ."

And everything was black.

**Alright, writer's block is not an excuse, nor a reason not to update for such a long time. However, I'm trying my best to combat it, and to update more because I want this story to have more depth, and I'm lacking in the ability to provide that because of my frequent writer's block.**

**I'm really sorry, and I'll try my best to make my updates more frequent.**


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